Why this is important: This strong endorsement signals Brussels’ increasing confidence in Albania’s EU trajectory. Opening all negotiation chapters would mark a major milestone in the country’s path toward membership—one that few candidate states reach this swiftly.

Why this is important: Berisha’s refusal to recognize electoral defeats has become a defining pattern over his 35-year political career. His latest claims continue this pattern—calling May 11 a “farce,” even though the preliminary OSCE/ODIHR report and key international actors, including the U.S. and EU, recognized the elections.

Why this is important: The session confirmed that the post-election political divide remains raw. Democrats continued to reject the legitimacy of the May 11 vote, calling it a “farce,” while Socialists accused them of refusing to accept electoral reality and urged them to conduct internal reflection instead of disrupting parliamentary work.

Why this is important: The move pushes Albania to the final phase of EU negotiations—closing the chapters. It signals that Brussels sees Albania as ready to move forward after years of reform.

Why this is important: The conflict signals a potentially major rupture inside the party and adds to the legitimacy crisis surrounding leader Sali Berisha, who already faces calls to resign as well as criticism for bypassing internal primaries and hand-picking loyalists for secure list positions. The infighting now threatens to destabilize PD further, just weeks after its electoral defeat.