Socialist MP Erion Braçe has reacted sharply to speculation about an agreement with Prime Minister Edi Rama under which he would take over the Ministry of Agriculture in exchange for withdrawing from the race for the Municipality of Tirana. Braçe has denied these claims and chosen to turn the accusations back on those who, according to him, are pushing this narrative in the media and on news portals.
Reaction after speculation of a political deal
In his public response, Braçe rejects the version portraying him as part of a political bargain for a ministerial post. According to him, the claim that he would receive the Ministry of Agriculture in order to abandon his ambitions for Tirana is a narrative that has been repeatedly built up for several days in online media and portals.
The MP describes this as an online lynching campaign, implying that the attack against him is not accidental but is being fed and distributed in an organized way. However, in the cited response he did not present concrete public evidence for these claims.
Braçe: I have not used votes for chairs
The central part of Braçe’s response is focused on the legitimacy he says he has received from voters over the years. He states that he has never used electoral support for personal bargaining or to secure political posts.
Braçe mentions the number of votes he has received in Tirana County, in the Municipality of Tirana and in direct elections over the course of three decades, insisting that chairs have never been his need. In essence, he seeks to draw a clear distinction between his political profile and the logic of distributing posts.
Accusations about money and interests inside and outside the Socialist Party
At the end of his response, Braçe moves from denying the speculation to making a heavier political accusation. According to him, the rumors and attacks against him are fueled by people with interests and by funding connected even to individuals within the Socialist Party.
He uses strong language, speaking of “the money of some filthy people” and of a group of people “even within the Socialist Party” who, according to his version, are paying for these attacks. This is a direct political accusation, but in the public response it is not accompanied by names or verifiable elements.
A clash that highlights tensions within the majority
Although the response is personal and direct, its political weight goes beyond a media debate. The mention of interests within the Socialist Party and of an alleged bargain over the Ministry of Agriculture sheds light on the climate of tensions circulating around posts and upcoming political contests.
At this stage, what remains publicly verifiable is Braçe’s denial and his accusation against the circles that, according to him, are investing in damaging his image. The claims of political agreements or of financing the attacks remain at the level of declarations.
Braçe’s response shifts the debate from rumors of an appointment to the Ministry of Agriculture to a broader accusation about influence, payments and internal political conflict. For now, in the absence of publicly presented evidence, the clash remains between circulating speculation and the sharp counter-response of the Socialist MP.