Albanian Socialist Party celebrates 35 years in Durrës as EU accession talks progress

On 25 May the Socialist Party (PS) in Durrës marked its 35th anniversary with a ceremony attended by local leader Blendi Klosi and Prime Minister Edi Rama. Rama highlighted the party’s role in Albania’s recent stability and reforms and said the country is closer than ever to European Union membership. He announced that the next inter‑governmental conference in Brussels, scheduled for 26 May, will open the closing phase of accession negotiations, aiming to conclude talks by 2027.

The celebration was set against ongoing local challenges. Opposition figures blamed repeated flooding and inadequate sewer maintenance on mismanagement and alleged client‑elist tenders. Mayor Emirjana Sako was criticised after the municipal water‑sewer company awarded a 12‑month contract worth 11.6 million lekë to “Mektrin Motors”, a firm linked to Sako’s family. The controversial Durrës Marina project also drew attention after the first two towers showed significant subsidence, with reports of up to 74 cm of ground sinking.

Rama used the event to portray Durrës as a model of PS’s organisational strength, citing the party’s historic electoral gains in the district, while opponents pointed to the city’s infrastructural and governance issues.