Following a dramatic electoral defeat in the May 11 vote, Albania’s Democratic Party (PD) has escalated its challenge to the ruling Socialist Party by lodging a formal complaint through the U.S.-based lobbying firm Continental Strategy. The move marks a striking return to foreign lobbying tactics, echoing past controversial efforts, and raises the political temperature both at home and abroad. A document dated May 16 reveals that the Democratic Party (PD) has submitted a preliminary report to the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that the May 11 elections were manipulated through systemic abuses of power and coordination with criminal networks.
The report is part of a broader $6 million lobbying strategy aimed at galvanizing international scrutiny over what the party frames as a deliberate erosion of democratic norms in Albania. According to the dossier, the PD accuses Prime Minister Edi Rama of weaponizing the judiciary in a desperate bid to secure a fourth consecutive term. It outlines a pattern of alleged political repression in the lead-up to the elections, including the imprisonment or prosecution of opposition figures such as Sali Berisha, Ilir Meta, Fatmir Mediu, Ervin Salianji, and Fredi Beleri — all without, the party claims, substantiated criminal charges.
“In a desperate attempt to prolong his hold on power,” the report reads, “Prime Minister Edi Rama utilized the justice system as a political weapon. Politically motivated trials and arrests targeted the opposition, blatantly violating democratic norms and fundamental political rights.”
The document also accuses the government of colluding with organized crime to influence the election outcome. Specifically, it claims that ten out of twelve electoral districts, and 21 of 61 municipalities, were “seized“ by powerful criminal syndicates allegedly acting in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office. It names Ergys Agasi, a close Rama associate, as the national coordinator of these operations, purportedly tasked with securing the election of at least 30 Socialist Party candidates.
In addition, the PD flags pre-election policy moves — such as pensioner bonuses and government decrees pardoning administrative fines — as strategic vote-buying disguised as welfare initiatives.
At the core of the document is a demand for an international investigation into the May 11 election, and the establishment of a technical government to oversee Albania’s EU integration agenda and ensure future elections are free and fair. Speaking to the press, PD leader Sali Berisha did not mince words. He praised the Italian anti-mafia authorities for their role in dismantling a powerful drug trafficking network centered in Durrës, but accused SPAK (Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure) of tipping off suspects and conducting a show operation targeting minor players.
“Behind the monstrous cocaine trafficking lies a government that handed over control of the port to criminal elements. I’ve denounced this many times. They arrested drivers and cleaners, but who warned the ringleader, Pojë, to flee?” Berisha asked, accusing the state of orchestrating a farce to cover its complicity.
Berisha also questioned the integrity of the diaspora voting process in Greece, pointing to Socialist Party wins with suspiciously high percentages — in some areas reaching 97%.
Reiterating the PD`s position, he declared:
“Such elections will never be accepted. No force can compel us to recognize his charade.“
In parallel, Democratic Party experts have compiled and disseminated a detailed dossier on alleged electoral violations to both EU member states and the United States. The U.S. version, filed via Continental Strategy, emphasizes the need for external mediation to safeguard the democratic process and restore institutional credibility.
The stakes are higher than ever. With accusations of state capture, electoral fraud, and criminal infiltration dominating the narrative, Albania stands at a political crossroads. Is this a desperate gasp from a fractured opposition or the beginning of a broader reckoning with democratic backsliding? Only time — and perhaps an international probe — will tell.
Written by our correspondent A.T.
