President Bajram Begaj has begun consultations with political parties on setting the date for the next local elections, in a process unfolding under pressure from legal deadlines and the usual political clash over election standards. The first meeting at the Presidency produced the Socialist Party’s signal: according to sources from the Presidency, the socialists accept any date except May 2.
The first meeting at the Presidency began with the SP
The series of consultations opened with Socialist Party parliamentary group chairman Taulant Balla, who was the first to be received by the President.
According to sources from the Presidency, Balla made it clear to the head of state that the SP is ready for any date for the local elections, with the exception of May 2. So far, this remains the clearest political position made public from the first round of consultations.
Why May 2 is off the table for the socialists
The rejection of May 2, according to the version made public, is linked to the fact that Orthodox Easter falls on that date.
This means the SP’s objection is not being presented as a technical debate over administering the process, but as a request to avoid a clash between voting day and a religious holiday.
The DP has called the consultation a “political theater”
A few days earlier, Democratic Party parliamentary group chairman Gazment Bardhi described the President’s invitation as a “political theater.”
According to him, the head of state should focus on concerns related to guaranteeing free and fair elections, shifting the debate from the date to the credibility of the process. This position places the Presidency before open skepticism from the opposition, rather than having the consultations read simply as a formal procedure.
Legal deadlines and the meeting schedule
According to the Electoral Code, the local elections must be held on a Sunday within the period from April 15 to May 15, 2027.
The deadline for President Bajram Begaj to announce the date is November 6.
At 11:00, representatives of the Social Democratic Party led by Tom Doshi are scheduled to arrive at the Presidency, after which consultations will continue with other parties as well.
The process is thus entering the decision-making phase, with little time left for the Presidency and with parties using the consultation not only for the calendar, but also to signal their political positions ahead of another local race.
Beyond the specific date, the essential question raised by the opposition remains: whether the system is truly ready to guarantee credible elections, or whether the debate will once again end up focused only on voting day.