Bardhi Appeals to International Community: Territorial Reform Is Being Manipulated for Electoral Gain and Must Be Certified by Venice Commission

Democratic Party Parliamentary Group Chairman Gazment Bardhi has sent an official letter to embassies and international organizations in the country, expressing concern that the administrative-territorial reform is moving forward without respect for democratic standards or a joint political agreement.

In the document dated July 27, 2026, Bardhi stresses that the Socialist majority’s approach conflicts with international standards, EU expectations, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and the commitments Albania has undertaken on its path toward membership in the European Union.

He warns that there is a risk that the revision of administrative boundaries could turn into a tool for territorial reorganization designed to serve electoral aims, distorting the results of the subsequent local elections and, indirectly, parliamentary elections as well.

“Any change to the boundaries of municipalities and regions carried out without a comprehensive political agreement, transparency, and consensus automatically has electoral consequences and gives an advantage to the political force in power. For this reason, such a reform can be considered neither sustainable nor legitimate by all political actors,” Bardhi’s letter states.

The Democratic Party leader calls on international allies to take a public stance and recommend that the Albanian authorities reconsider the decision, extend the Special Committee’s mandate until October 2026, and ensure an inclusive, transparent, and consensus-based process.

Bardhi also insists that any document resulting from the Committee’s work, before being put to a vote in a plenary session of Parliament, receive prior certification from the Venice Commission or the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, as the most authoritative bodies in this field.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group says it has drafted an extensive report on the progress of the process, arguing that the majority has undermined the European principles on which the reform was supposed to be based.