FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
On May 23, Sali Berisha "kills" the race in the DP and is re-elected as president, in Serbia students and the opposition shake up Vučić's government...
Two political developments in the Balkans highlight the contrast between a centralized opposition in Albania and a student movement demanding political change in Serbia.
On May 23, the Democratic Party of Albania will hold elections for its leader, with Sali Berisha running unopposed. After 35 years in politics and decades of dominance on the Albanian right, the former prime minister has no intention of leaving, but this time he has also killed the competition within the party.
The political irony of the date lies in the fact that on that same day, in Serbia, students and opposition groups have announced one of the largest rallies against President Aleksandar Vučić, at a time when Belgrade is facing strong social and political pressure.
In Albania, the opposition has its troubles and has been reduced to a protest with several hundred people. After internal divisions, the removal of critical figures and control of party structures, the historic leader of the Democrats enters the elections alone, sealing his absolute dominance in the DP even in 2026.
Meanwhile, in Serbia, the political situation is moving in the opposite direction. Students who have been organizing protests against Vučić's government for months have announced a massive rally in Belgrade's Slavija Square. Opposition parties are also joining them.
Meanwhile, the opposition's problem here is that Berisha regains the leadership of the party, instead of mobilizing students and citizens to rise up against this government.
In Serbia, the student movement, which initially began as a reaction to corruption and captured institutions, is now openly entering the political arena. Faculty of Political Science student Tara Blagojevic told Serbian media outlet Danas that the protest will not be merely symbolic.
" These were not just demands, but principles that united us and that show that the fight for justice and responsibility has become our daily routine. Today we want to show what we have done. Not through promises, but through the concrete results of what we have prepared, because we believe that society can be just and functional if there is a plan and the will to change ," she said.
According to her, students are also preparing for elections, training observers and expanding the organizational network throughout Serbia.
" We do not see this as a division between Belgrade and the rest of the country. This rally belongs to everyone. Let's show what we are ," Blagojevic declared.
Even professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Bojan Vranić, considers the May 23 protest as a clear entry into the political battle against Vučić.
" Last year, citizens took to the streets out of solidarity with the victims and against corruption. Now the message is different: vote for us, for our candidates, join us. This is now open politics ," he said.
On the same day, the Balkans will thus produce two completely different images of the opposition: in Tirana, a historic leader running alone after 35 years in politics, while in Belgrade, a generation of students seeking to challenge the government through massive mobilization in the streets.
Berisha eshte karrikja ku ka vendosur bythen Edi Rama. Dhe ka gjetur shume rehat !