TIRANA, May 15, 2023 – Albania’s ruling Socialist Party is projected to win 52 of the country’s 61 municipal elections, including every single large population center, as vote counting reaches its final stage.
The Socialists are set to win the key races of the largest cities of Tirana and Durres, as well as Shkoder, the municipality they had never been able to win since the fall of communism.
SP also has a confirmed win in Elbasan, where electronic voting took place and results are now officially available.
SP’s main rivals — the Together We Win coalition — have suffered the worst electoral results for the opposition ever, with the exception of the 2019 elections, which the opposition boycotted. They’ve only been able to win a handful of small municipalities.
A total of 40 parties were running candidates for mayors and municipal councils.
SP has become Albania’s dominant party in the past decade, holding power centrally and locally over a divided opposition.
Last updated: May 15, 2023 – 11:38 a.m.
