Why is this important: What makes this incident dangerous is that it mirrors past election flashpoints—most notably a deadly shooting during the 2021 campaign, when a member of the DP’s vote protection team killed an SP activist during an altercation caused by the “structures” attempts to take the law into its own hands. Although the Democratic Party claims these groups are meant to monitor the process, they have no legal authority to detain or stop vehicles. This has prompted fears that such actions amount to dangerous vigilante behavior that could intimidate voters and provoke retaliation by rivals.

Why is this important: The Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prominent cycling races, will pass through Vlora on the same day as Albania’s parliamentary elections. With road closures anticipated to last over four hours, access to at least 55 polling stations in the region may be significantly impacted. SP argues that the measure is necessary to protect citizens’ right to vote. Vlora is an SP bastion and SP has a real chance to obtain one additional MP in these election, but this hinges on the increased participation of voters.

Why is this important: The May 11 elections will determine the makeup of Albania’s next parliament, with 140 seats up for grabs. A total of 2,046 candidates are competing, with the electorate numbering over 3.7 million. For the first time, Albanian citizens living abroad have been allowed to vote remotely—a significant expansion of voting rights. Additionally, the election will be held under a hybrid system combining closed and open lists.

Why is this important: The initial tweet, posted Wednesday by journalist Marc Caputo, was immediately seized upon by Berisha’s Democratic Party as evidence that his travel ban to the United States had been lifted. Supporters celebrated the post as a sign of renewed U.S. support under the Republican-controlled State Department. Berisha himself issued instructions to his candidates to post celebratory messages and appeared alongside Trump-linked figures at a rally in Shkodër. However, U.S. authorities have confirmed that the designation remains firmly in place.

Why is this important: The tweet—posted by right-wing journalist Marc Caputo—was seized upon by Berisha’s Democratic Party as proof that the U.S. under the Trump administration is changing its position regarding Berisha’s “non grata” designation for corruption and that the travel ban has been lifted. However, the text itself refers only to the possibility of a visa waiver, a mechanism the U.S. has long used in specific cases that do not affect the underlying designation. Analysts say the move is unlikely to affect the outcome of Albania’s May 11 elections.