As Albania prepares for its upcoming elections, a former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. suggests the vote will essentially be a referendum on the policies of President Trump versus those of George and Alex Soros, with opposition parties alleging corruption by the ruling socialists.
Agim Nesho, the former Albanian ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, stated that Albania is now “effectively a one-party system pretending to hold elections.” He characterized the May election as “a clash between ‘Trump-ists’ and ‘Soros-ists,’ with the latter fighting to maintain their control over corruption and the state in Albania.”
Concerns are being raised about the integrity of the upcoming elections for the country’s 140-member Parliament, scheduled for May 11, due to accusations of corruption and recent arrests of prominent Albanian political candidates.
Nesho asserted that the ruling socialists, “led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, is undemocratic and deeply rooted… for over 12 years, it has been supported by rich left-wing donors like Alex Soros, Rama’s close friend, and by and Open Society [Foundations] judicial reform, which Rama co-opted and twisted to attack the center-right, conservative opposition.” He also claimed the prime minister “oversees a powerful narco-state that spreads fear and exerts controls over elections.”
Chris LaCivita, President Trump’s former campaign manager, joined the campaign of Sali Berisha, the leader of Albania’s right-wing Democratic Party, in February. LaCivita stated that Berisha would be “a true friend of the United States and… will successfully work with President Trump and the United States,” while calling Rama a “puppet of George Soros.”
Berisha, a former president and prime minister of Albania, stated that Rama’s government “banned my name and the name of the party in the voting list” during the May 2023 elections and then took further measures when that failed.
Berisha was placed under house arrest by Parliament in December 2023, accused of using his position to help his son-in-law acquire private land. Berisha maintains that “official documents proved” the land belonged to his son-in-law’s grandfather and had been confiscated by the former Communist regime.
Berisha was released from house arrest last November and formally charged with corruption in September, according to the Associated Press.
Berisha’s spokesperson, Alfred Lela, stated that Berisha is currently awaiting trial.
In addition to Berisha, Centrist Freedom Party leader and former Albanian President Ilir Meta was in October 2024 in what one source described as a “weaponization of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.” Meta, once an ally of Rama, has frequently criticized the increasing corruption and authoritarianism of the Rama government.
The European Center for Law & Justice reported in 2023 that George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) invested over $131 million in Albania between 1992 and 2020, effectively “supporting Mr. Rama’s rise to power.” The center alleges that OSF helped allocate some of the $60 million that USAID spent on judicial reform in Albania between 2000 and 2015, stating that Rama’s opposition has “denounced this reform as aimed at enabling the government to take control of the judiciary.”
OSF offices in Albania and the U.S. did not respond to multiple inquiries about allegations made by its opponents.
According to an OSF website, the group “earmarked $600,000 to support the process to overhaul Albania’s judicial system” in 2015 as part of Albania’s preparations to . OSF claims “the money was used to fund a 20-strong expert panel, conduct public outreach and opinion surveys, establish a dedicated website, and organize conferences.”
reports that Alex Soros frequently visits Tirana, considering it his “second home.” In July 2021, Soros posted a selfie with Rama on Instagram, referring to the prime minister as his “good friend.”
Berisha claims he requested the U.S. Congress and European Parliament eight years ago “to ban [George] Soros’ political activity in Europe because he is an enemy of democracy.”
In a December speech, Berisha stated he would ban the OSF from Albania, calling the group a “real national threat,” according to Euronews Albania. Berisha added that the Rama government’s mismanagement of resources and failure to alleviate poverty had led to the emigration of 45% of Albanians.
Another obstacle to Berisha’s campaign is the sanctions that former Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced against Berisha, his wife, and his children in May 2021. Blinken stated that Berisha had been “involved in corrupt acts, such as misappropriation of public funds and interfering with public processes, including using his power for his own benefit and to enrich his political allies and his family members at the expense of the Albanian public’s confidence in their government institutions and public officials.”
Berisha alleges that the sanctions against him were “entirely based on corrupted lobbying” by George Soros and Rama. He further claimed that members of the Biden administration “turned [the] U.S. Embassy in Tirana into a huge prosecutorial office,” urging supporters, journalists, and business people to cease supporting Berisha and his party, and that the State Department “asked other countries to sanction and to isolate me.”
Berisha says the sanctions have hampered his campaign, preventing him from meeting with Albanian Americans, who are numerous and, for the first time in this election, have the right to vote for the party and candidate they prefer in their country of origin.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Berisha’s claims that U.S. entities turned supporters against him and did not respond to questions about whether sanctions against Berisha should be upheld or if they impede free and fair elections in Albania.
A spokesperson for former President Joe Biden also did not respond to questions regarding his administration’s role in turning supporters against Berisha.
Nesho noted that sanctions “lack… evidence and had been rejected by Albanian public opinion. It looks like a political move, driven by Rama’s big money allies such as Alex Soros, who benefit both commercially and in influence from keeping Rama in power.” Nesho to “lift this ban immediately. It’s stirring anti-American feelings and clashes with the values of democracy and fairness,” he added.
Nesho asserted that “the last three elections were unfair, full of intimidation and theft. The upcoming May 11, 2025, election shouldn’t just be a fake show – it needs to be truly free and fair. The U.S. and EU must push for this or ask that the vote is delayed until it can meet proper standards.”
Digital also contacted Albanian Prime Minister Rama, the OSF, a member of the Albanian Foreign Ministry, and the Albanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., multiple times for comment about accusations of corruption and OSF election interference but received no response.