Elisa Spiropali has sent a message from Serbia’s election that could also resonate in Tirana: no political power is eternal, and citizens have the right to change their country’s direction.
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Although Spiropali did not mention Edi Rama, her words invite an obvious question. Does the same principle apply to Albania’s prime minister, who has governed since 2013 and secured a fourth consecutive electoral victory in 2025?
The irony is striking: Spiropali belongs to the very party that has kept Rama in power for more than a decade.
A lesson for the Balkans
Serbia’s student-led political challenge has demonstrated that even an established political leadership can face defeat. In Albania, too, protests and demands for accountability have kept questions about the government’s power and democratic institutions in the public debate.
Long tenure alone does not make a leader a dictator. But when political power becomes increasingly concentrated, the independence of institutions, media freedom and fair electoral competition become crucial.
The Balkans has seen leaders dominate politics for decades. Montenegro’s Milo Đukanović, for example, remained a central political figure for decades before his party lost power in 2020.
If citizens can change the political direction of Serbia, why should Albania be any different?
Spiropali has not confirmed that her statement was aimed at Rama. Yet her message carries a clear democratic principle: no leader owns the state, and no party has a permanent right to govern.