The dismissal of Anuela Ristani by Erion Veliaj is being read by the opposition not as a routine move within the Municipality of Tirana, but as a symptom of a deeper clash within the governing camp. Sali Berisha said the mayor’s action amounts to a direct challenge to Edi Rama and, according to him, reveals the prime minister’s weakness.
Berisha presents the decision as a blow against Rama
In his reaction, the head of the Democratic Party said Veliaj’s decision regarding Anuela Ristani should not be seen simply as an administrative matter or a reorganization of powers at city hall. According to Berisha, this was the “open beginning of Veliaj’s attack” against Rama.
He argued that the timing of the move shows that a political battle is unfolding within the majority, with each side testing the other’s strength. In this reading, the conflict is presented not as an institutional debate, but as a clash over power within the same majority.
The opposition’s claim of a crisis at the top of power
Berisha linked the episode to the prime minister’s political condition, using harsh political language. According to him, Rama is in a position of weakness and is unable to impose full control over his political associates.
He also said that the prime minister announces changes, but according to his version, fails to actually produce any change. In the opposition’s interpretation, this makes Veliaj’s move a clear sign that Rama’s authority is being called into question even from within his own camp.
Reference to the old clash over the Municipality of Tirana
In his statement, Berisha also drew attention to the issue of the dismissal procedure, mentioning that the Constitutional Court had deemed unconstitutional the procedure used by Rama, through Socialist municipal councilors, against Veliaj.
Against precisely this backdrop, he claimed that the latest move against Ristani was used by Veliaj as a political signal to the prime minister. According to Berisha, this is not only about stripping powers, but about an open challenge aimed at showing the real limits of Rama’s influence.
Citizens caught in the middle of an internal political battle
Beyond the strong political rhetoric, Berisha said the cost of this clash falls on the citizens of Tirana. He gave as an example the condition of the Tirana River, claiming that it shows the degradation of the city’s management.
In the end, he called it a positive development that, according to him, the sides within the majority are openly clashing with one another. However, the essence of his statement remains political: the dismissal of Anuela Ristani is being used by the opposition as proof that tensions within the governing camp are no longer being hidden, not even at the Municipality of Tirana.
So far, there has been no quoted reaction in this development from Erion Veliaj or Edi Rama regarding the political interpretation Berisha gave to the decision concerning Anuela Ristani.
What remains clear is that a move within the Municipality of Tirana is immediately turning into ammunition for the broader battle among local government, the national government, and the opposition.