Why is this important: Despite a large field of contenders, the election remains largely a race between the two dominant parties. New forces have emerged, but their failure to cooperate and present a unified alternative has left them fragmented and less effective. Meanwhile, emigrant voters—casting ballots from abroad for the first time—could prove decisive in tight races.

Why is this important: Greece has the second-largest Albanian voting population abroad, with over 68,000 registered voters. But just days before the election, only a fraction of those ballots have been returned. If they don’t arrive by 19:00 on election day, they won’t be counted—potentially disenfranchising thousands and impacting the legitimacy of Albania’s first-ever out-of-country voting process.

Why this is important: If confirmed on election day, the projections would give PS a comfortable victory and a fourth consecutive term in power while signaling a reshuffling in Albania’s political spectrum.

Why is this important: The timing of the Greek response weakens Berisha’s latest offensive against the judiciary and reinforces concerns that such accusations are being weaponized to intimidate judges involved in his corruption case. It also marks a rare instance where a foreign authority directly contradicts a public claim by a leading Albanian political figure.

Why is this important: Idrizi’s remarks lay bare the internal contradictions of Berisha’s opposition alliance. As the political leader of Albania’s Cham community—expelled from Greece after WWII in an act of ethnic cleansing that continues to cause tensions between the two countries—Idrizi’s presence alongside Beleri, a Greek nationalist figure, has long been viewed as politically untenable. The tension has now erupted into public criticism, revealing deeper discomfort and possible electoral fallout.