EU and diaspora vote

By Aladin Staff

With the election year almost officially open, participatory political forces in Albania seem to be gearing up to maximize their vote as much as they can. Beyond the campaign that will be held inside the country, the 2025 elections are expected to bring many innovations, among which the increase in the number of voters abroad.

An important component is the votes of the diaspora.

A vote which will give an opportunity of representation to all Albanians living abroad in a process, the development of which will be done through sending by mail.

But how motivated does the diaspora seem with this new development?

Will this vote affect the outcome of the election?

How sensitive is the diaspora about the internal political situation or beyond in its homeland?

These questions -seemingly very technical- are the ones that increase the pressure on the political forces in every public appearance, and even more so on the ruling majority, which this time seems much more involved in creating a support base, especially abroad.

It should be noted that our diaspora has been firmly embedded in European Union countries for decades. Raised and cultivated in countries with a democracy and a consolidated system, she knows well the reality of civil rights, where the right to vote is first recognized as a fundamental right of society and its touch cannot even be thought of.

Their views may differ from constituents who live within the country. The way they approach progress, the different spirit and development in thought they have cultivated can all play a factor in the political selection through their vote.

Consequently, the problems addressed can be totally different because the daily influence they have from internal politics is almost zero.

On the other hand, developing their lives outside Albania, the pressure exerted by internal forces in work and society is significantly low and consequently high for political parties, which are expected to face an unpredictable vote. As well as an unmanageable target group.

For Albania, this is a new 'experiment' and its success must be seen if it will work and how valuable it will be in the end.

But how did Albania manage to agree to go towards such an opinion/decision?

Seeing that in recent years there has been talk of a rapprochement of our country in the EU, most likely one of the points that must be fulfilled is the inclusion of the vote of the diaspora, a task or point of the chapters that will maximize the issue of democratization and the opening of country.

However, the initiative of the government seems positive, which, beyond benefiting for years from diaspora remittances in economic terms and the possibility of the country's recovery, especially after the years of transition, has recently decided to give voice and inclusion to all Albanian citizens who also why far from approaching their country with the idea that they are not forgotten but valued.

No one misses their roots in cold and bureaucratic Europe more than them, where warmth and the expression that 'a heavy stone weighs in its place' follows them like a shadow all the time.

On the other hand, if the European club asks for it, we fulfill this criterion with the desire to one day become part of it. Because, unfortunately, being 'Albanian' we cannot change despite possible doubts, so they must understand this!