2024: The Year Berisha Lost the Opposition Monopoly Battle

At the start of this year, a so-called “serious” attempt was made to reunite Albania’s fractured opposition. The split had resulted in two main factions, aligned with Lulzim Basha and Sali Berisha. By September 2023, the faction supporting Basha broke away entirely but did not immediately align with Berisha’s group. To give their efforts an appearance of legitimacy, Gazment Bardhi, who led this new faction after breaking with Basha, branded the initiative as “unity in diversity.”

However, this approach relied more on theatrics than substance. In late January 2024, during his annual visit to the U.S. for the National Prayer Breakfast, Fatmir Mediu, leader of Albania’s Republican Party, brought along Gazment Bardhi from Albania's Democratic Party and Damian Gjiknuri from the Socialist Party. While the group was not admitted to the ceremony venue, they participated online and held meetings with U.S. Congressmen and Senators, returning to Albania with two key updates.

First, even the Socialist Party’s representative admitted to "the Americans" that Sali Berisha was the primary reason for the opposition’s continued division—something already widely acknowledged. Second, rumors surfaced that "the Americans" (whoever that referred to) had allegedly urged Bardhi to join Berisha’s faction, with the promise that Bardhi would eventually replace Berisha as leader of the Democratic Party.

To fuel these rumors, Bardhi joined nightly rallies demanding Berisha’s release from house arrest upon returning from the U.S. After Berisha’s release, Bardhi was appointed leader of the DP’s parliamentary group. Subsequently, Berisha was officially reinstated as the party’s leader, making it seem like the entire effort had been a covert operation to regain control of the Democratic Party.

All strategies had assumed Berisha would lead the party, with rebel MPs eventually returning under his banner. Yet, the attempt at reunification failed. The faction rejecting Berisha’s leadership remained unrepresented in parliament, while some MPs established a new party. Meanwhile, Lulzim Basha announced plans to run in elections with a new party, the Euroatlantic Democratic Party. In addition to these two groups, four newly formed political parties began organizing, while Ilir Meta’s Freedom Party deteriorated alongside Meta’s declining mental health.

Meanwhile, Meta’s arrest and Berisha’s release from house arrest further complicated matters. Berisha’s release dashed the hopes of those who aimed to replace him, weakening Bardhi’s leadership in the DP’s parliamentary group and consolidating Berisha’s authority within the party. Meanwhile, Meta’s party, struggling for relevance, attempted to siphon support from the DP.

The new political parties, all in opposition, have refused alliances with Berisha. Even Dashamir Shehi, leader of the only established small party, opposes him. Currently, only Agron Duka’s Agrarian Party and Fatmir Mediu’s Republican Party remain open to alliances with Berisha.

As the year draws to a close, those who sought to undermine Berisha while pretending to support him have been politically sidelined within the DP. Outside the party, most of the opposition rejects him.

Thus, in one year, Berisha has not only failed to unify the opposition or take full control of it but has further fractured it. The result is a diverse opposition bloc that largely rejects his leadership. His first significant loss this year was the monopoly over the opposition. The next loss, anticipated by many, awaits in the May 2025 elections.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Berisha këtë vit humbi betejën për monopolin e opozitës"