Albania Parliament approves territorial reform reducing municipalities to 46

administrative-territorial reform Albanian Parliament municipality merger local governance decentralization

The Albanian Parliament has approved a major administrative-territorial reform, reducing the number of municipalities from 61 to 46. The reform involves the merger of 15 municipalities, including the combination of Korçë and Maliq into a single unit covering 1,462 square kilometers, and the merger of Divjaka into Lushnja.

The decision has sparked intense political tension and public protest. Opposition leaders, including Sali Berisha and Gjin Gjoni, have condemned the move as an undemocratic act that centralizes power and threatens to accelerate rural depopulation. They have signaled intentions to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court.

Within the ruling Socialist Party, deputy Erion Braçe faced scrutiny for voting in favor of the reform. Braçe stated he voted to remain within the party and continue his work, despite his previous opposition to the plan. He criticized Prime Minister Edi Rama’s leadership style and the pressure applied to deputies during the process.

Entities

Albanian Parliament · Arbjan Mazniku · Democratic Party · Democratic Party of Albania · Edi Rama · Erion Braçe · Gazment Bardhi · Korçë · Niko Peleshi · Sali Berisha · Socialist Party · Socialist Party of Albania

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Arbjan Mazniku argued that municipalities are not legally or financially prevented from performing functions like tourism development and social care. www.topalbaniaradio.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The reform aims to create larger and more financially stable local units. teve1.info · abcnews.al
[● 4 SOURCES] Prime Minister Edi Rama threatened to exclude deputies from the Socialist Parliamentary Group if they voted against the reform. tirananews.al · www.shkodraweb.com · argjiroja.net
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mazniku cited Lushnja as a municipality successfully performing social care and professional education functions, contrasting it with Divjaka. www.topalbaniaradio.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Braçe reported that Prime Minister Edi Rama threatened to exclude deputies from the Socialist Parliamentary Group if they voted against the reform. tirananews.al
[● 2 SOURCES] Braçe stated he would support the reform if it were designed for better governance. tirananews.al
[● 2 SOURCES] The population of the new municipality is expected to be around 100,000 residents. kohajone.com
[● 6 SOURCES] The Albanian Parliament approved the new administrative-territorial reform with 85 votes in favor. lajmi.net
[○ 1 SOURCE] Gazment Bardhi accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of violating parliamentary rules and the Constitution.
[● 4 SOURCES] The reform merges Divjaka into the Lushnja municipality. lajmi.net · www.topalbaniaradio.com
[● 9 SOURCES] The reform reduces the number of municipalities from 61 to 46. teve1.info · lajmi.net · fjala.al · ntv.al · patriotikmedia.al · +1 more
[● 3 SOURCES] The new Korçë municipality will have a surface area of 1,462 square kilometers. kohajone.com