Albanians are casting ballots in the general election, with Prime Minister Edi Rama seeking an unprecedented fourth term after a campaign dominated by promises of European Union membership and corruption allegations.

Polling stations opened at 7am local time (05:00 GMT) on Sunday and would close at 7pm (17:00 GMT), with results expected on Monday.

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Nearly 3.7 million Albanians, including hundreds of thousands living abroad, are eligible to vote. For the first time, members of the diaspora can cast their ballots by mail.

Rama, leader of the governing Socialist Party since 2013, has positioned himself as the architect of Albania’s EU future. He has pledged that the country will join the bloc by 2030, repeating the promise at his final rally: “We will get our fourth mandate, and we will not lose a single day for Albania 2030 in the EU.”

Rama’s main rival, 80-year-old Sali Berisha, a former president and prime minister, leads the conservative Democratic Party.

Despite being banned from entering the United States and the United Kingdom over alleged corruption, which he denies, Berisha has retained a loyal following and adopted slogans including “Make Albania Great Again”.

Rama has faced allegations of state capture, with opposition voices warning that the political playing field is far from even.

Critics say Rama’s dominance over public institutions has undermined democratic checks.

Rama’s administration has not escaped scrutiny, with his close ally – Tirana’s mayor Erion Veliaj – arrested this year over alleged corruption and money laundering. Both men deny the allegations.

‘I want to leave the country’

The political contest is, in many ways, a rematch of old rivals. Rama and Berisha have dominated public life since the fall of communism in 1990. Many younger voters have grown disillusioned with both.

“I will vote for new politicians because those like Rama and Berisha have been here for three decades and they only replace themselves,” said 21-year-old Arber Qazimi, speaking to the Reuters news agency.

Others, like Erisa, an economics student, plan to abstain entirely. “I am only thinking how to go out of the country to study and then stay there and never come back,” she said, echoing the sentiment of many among the estimated one million Albanians who have emigrated in the past decade.

With the Socialists potentially needing allies to retain their narrow majority, smaller parties could prove decisive in shaping the next government.

The campaign trail shifted largely to social media platforms, though a yearlong TikTok ban – imposed over online bullying and incitement – has led to accusations of censorship.

The Democratic Party brought in American political strategist Chris LaCivita, known for his role in US President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, in a bid to sharpen their message.