MP Evangelos Doules on Albanian Elections | 08 May 2025

Greek minority MP Evangelos Doules, who has been elected in Albania since the 1990s—initially with the Omonia–Human Rights Union Party—spoke candidly about the country’s upcoming national elections this Sunday, during his appearance on ERT’s radio Voice of Greece, on the show “Our Global Voice” with Dimitris Kontogiannis.
Running in the Vlorë region under the Democratic Party of Sali Berisha, Mr. Doules described troubling election conditions. He highlighted the low registration of expatriates in Greece for postal voting and noted that voter turnout in areas with a strong Greek presence is often lower than in other regions of Albania. He also condemned practices by the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing it of pressuring public servants and their families to vote for the party—often demanding photographic proof of their ballot. He further pointed to widespread vote-buying. When asked whether the European Union is aware of and responding to these alleged irregularities, Doules remarked that the EU has shown long-standing tolerance but is now becoming less patient.