Albanian President Begaj initiates consultations for 2027 local elections

President Bajram Begaj has scheduled political consultations starting October 30 to determine the date for Albania's 2027 local elections. The meetings, held at the Palace of Brigades, involve all political parties with parliamentary representation from the 2025 elections.

According to the Electoral Code, the President must announce the election date six months in advance. The elections are expected to take place between April 15 and May 15, with the Socialist Party suggesting May 2 or May 9 as potential dates. These upcoming elections will utilize a new territorial map, reducing the number of mayors from 61 to 46, while former municipalities will maintain quotas for councilors within their new merged administrative units.

The Democratic Party (PD) has refused to participate in these consultations. Gazment Bardhi, head of the PD parliamentary group, dismissed the invitation as “political theater” and accused President Begaj of failing to fulfill his constitutional role by acting in service of Prime Minister Edi Rama rather than representing the presidency independently.