The race for Tirana Municipality in the 2027 local elections remains open, at least according to Sali Berisha’s latest statements. The Democratic Party leader said primaries have not been taken off the table and that decisions on candidacies are expected in the coming weeks, while on the name of Ilir Alimehmeti he offered political praise, but not final approval.
Primaries still part of the Democratic Party’s formula
Berisha said there is no decision within the Democratic Party to exclude primaries from the process of selecting candidates for the local elections.
“No, there is no decision to exclude the primaries. There is none,” he said, suggesting that the opposition leadership is still keeping more than one scenario open for the race in the capital.
Decision on Tirana candidate postponed to the coming weeks
According to Berisha, preparations for the local elections have begun and the official announcement of the race is expected soon. However, so far there is no sealed name for Tirana.
He said the work has continued and that candidacy issues will take shape in the near future, showing that the opposition has still not closed its internal debate over one of the country’s most sensitive political contests.
Alimehmeti mentioned, but without confirmation
Asked about Ilir Alimehmeti, a name long discussed for Tirana, Berisha chose to praise his profile without declaring him the candidate.
“Ilir Alimehmeti is a distinguished personality of the Democratic Party and of the city of Tirana. Everything will be determined in the coming weeks,” the Democratic Party leader said. This keeps open both the possibility of his candidacy and other options within or outside the party’s structures.
Clash in the Socialist Party used as a political counterattack
Berisha also commented on moves in the socialist camp, after Erion Braçe expressed readiness to enter the race for Tirana Municipality and called for the Socialist Party’s candidate to emerge from the vote of socialists.
In Berisha’s version, this shows an internal conflict in the Socialist Party. He used harsh political language to describe the rivalry among the socialists, presenting the situation as a clash of clans within the majority.
For now, the picture remains unclear in both camps: in the Democratic Party there is still no declared candidate for Tirana, while in the Socialist Party public signals suggest that the race there is not as closed as it is officially presented.
At this stage, political statements are testing the ground more than they are providing final answers on the names that will actually enter the battle for the capital.