Socialist Party district reshuffles

Socialist Party Assembly in Durrës installs new leaderships in six regions, launches membership drive and diaspora outreach as PS sets sights on full territorial sweep

by the Newsroom (Tirana)

The Socialist Party held its National Assembly in Durrës on Saturday, overhauling the party’s regional leadership structure and formally launching preparations for the 2027 local elections, less than four months after its dominant victory in May’s parliamentary ballot.

Six regional directorships changed hands. The most prominent appointment was that of parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla, who takes charge of the Tirana region — the party’s largest electoral territory — replacing Elisa Spiropali. Spiropali, who was removed as Foreign Minister earlier this year, will now lead only Unit 13 within the Tirana municipality alongside Anila Denaj. Ogerta Manastirliu retains the Tirana municipality directorship. Secretary General Blendi Klosi assessed Tirana as a region the party has won, but not at its maximum potential, noting the loss of Kavaja as a drag on the overall district result.

In Durrës, Klosi himself takes over from outgoing Mayor Emirjana Sako. Defence Minister Ermal Nufi is assigned Lezha, replacing Ulsi Manja, who moves to Dibër in place of Klosi. Energy Minister Enea Karakaçi takes Shkodra, replacing Benet Beci. In Kukës, where Eduard Shalsi departs, the party has installed Tirana MP Erion Malaj, a figure Rama is fielding as a new test in a region the party has not yet secured.

Seven regional directorships were confirmed without change: Belinda Balluku in Fier, Bledi Çuçi in Vlorë, Niko Peleshi in Korçë, Mirela Kumbaro in Gjirokastër, Arbian Mazniku in Elbasan, Ervin Demo in Berat, and Taulant Balla’s dual role extended to the diaspora coordination post he already holds. Klosi called Fier the party’s strongest region and deepest victory margin from May.

Balla, in a statement after the Assembly, said the party’s target for 2027 is to win all five municipalities in the Tirana region. Klosi set the same ambition nationally: PS enters the next local cycle “to win all municipalities.”

On party organisation, Klosi announced a restructuring timeline running from today through June 30, with internal elections at every level to be completed by June 12. He set a membership recruitment target of four new members per Socialist organisation — two men and two women — and tasked each structure with individually meeting five young people per voting centre in rural areas and ten in urban ones. Rama told the Assembly that women currently make up 34 percent of PS membership and called it unacceptable, setting 50 percent as the target.

A diaspora membership registration campaign will open on March 30 and run through September 30, targeting Albanian communities in Italy, the United States, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Balla noted that PS won two in three diaspora votes in May, from among a quarter of a million registered voters abroad. Rama said the 2029 diaspora target will be three times higher.

Rama also set conditions for incumbent mayors seeking re-nomination in 2027: a minimum of ten signed contracts under the Mountain Package and three approved joint enterprises. Neither condition was presented as negotiable.