Prime Minister Edi Rama has publicly tied his departure from leading the government to Albania’s membership in the European Union, suggesting that the political mandate he gives himself remains dependent on that objective. In the same appearance, he also defended the controversial project in Zvërnec, saying there had been no communication with Donald Trump.
Departure conditioned on EU entry
In an interview on the “Flasim” podcast, Rama said he does not aim to remain in power “forever,” but added that he continues in the post because, according to him, the EU’s door is open to Albania.
His statement was direct: when Albania crosses the threshold of EU membership, he will leave government. This once again places the political debate around the promise of integration, an objective used for years by governments as a legitimizing argument for remaining in power.
Successor in the Socialist Party: Rama says no race has opened
Asked about his successor at the head of the Socialist Party, Rama refused to give names and said he does not intend to choose himself who will succeed him.
According to him, a successor is not produced by the leader’s will, but emerges in competition and takes on the leadership. He added that no race has yet opened on this issue and that Socialists should focus on their careers and political profile, not on calculations over whose “turn” is coming.
He will leave the leadership, but not the party
Rama said his plan is to step down from leading the Socialist Party, but not from the party itself. He said he will remain a member of the socialist organization in Surrel and that he has no intention of “getting in the way” of whoever comes after him.
To illustrate the idea of withdrawing from the leadership without casting a shadow over his successor, he recalled an episode from his first meeting with Angela Merkel in 2014, where, according to his version, the former chancellor had spoken about the difficulty created when the old leader still remains behind the scenes.
Zvërnec, a project the government refuses to withdraw
In the same interview, Rama also commented on the project in Zvërnec, which has drawn high public attention because of its connection to the daughter and son-in-law of the U.S. president.
The prime minister said he has never spoken with Donald Trump about this issue. He maintained the same position on the project itself, signaling that the government will not retreat from it except in the event that, according to him, the law and science stop its implementation.
This means that, at least on the political level, the project remains protected by the government, while the real debate shifts to legal filters and scientific assessments expected to determine whether it can move forward or not.
Rama’s statements keep together two issues with a high political cost: long-term power and contested projects of major public interest.
On the one hand, he presents his departure as an issue linked to the EU; on the other, on Zvërnec he suggests that political decision-making will not easily back down without a strong legal or scientific obstacle.