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What if he wins? That's a problem.

2025-10-01 20:35:00, Opinione Ermal Mulosmani

The elections for the Municipality of Tirana will never be more favorable for the Opposition than this time!
The final separation of the Prime Minister with Erion Veliaj has created a rift in the left-wing vote. Many of the beneficiaries of the former Mayor's power who have been waiting and hoping until now have the situation clear. I believe that within them they have a sense of revenge and will reflect it in every possible way. Their votes, in my opinion, will go against the Manastirliu-Balluku duo, especially against the latter. The situation was different in the general elections. Then, with 36 candidates, they could also choose candidates close to Veliaj such as Bushka, Gogu, etc. While now they are facing Belinda Balluku. I believe that there will be a significant flow.
The difference in votes between Veliaj and the Opposition (if we add the votes of Këlliçi+Bejko+Lejla Përnaska) was 158 thousand - 114 = 44 thousand votes. A big difference but not irretrievable.
The May 2023 elections were the opposition's worst moment. There is nothing worse than that. In any case, an opposition candidate will receive more votes than Këlliç.

Now let's come to the candidates. Among those I heard today, I only know Ermal Hasime. I know him both as a public figure and personally. He is undoubtedly a figure of integrity, a skilled professional and a prominent intellectual. Not to overdo it with epithets. However, precisely for these character qualities he is NOT the right one!

The Democratic Party does not want a figure who would surpass its votes at the moment. At that moment he becomes the number 1 opposition figure. The question: "What if he wins?" suddenly turns into a big mess within its ranks. At the moment, they want to get through this awkward moment without shame, not to win with the "wrong man". Therefore, Hasimja will not be accepted as a unifying candidacy. If he emerges as a candidacy, he will not be supported by the party base.
Hasimja would indeed expand the spectrum of opposition voters, but it would weaken the central part, the voters of the locomotive Party. The same problem would also be faced by Bardh Kadilli, who I was thinking of as a candidate before.
The DP is not ready to involuntarily create its leader from outside, especially suggested by someone else. They can

accept a name from their own to run and do their best to win.
In these conditions, there are two candidacies that can mobilize the Opposition: Alimehmeti and Agron Shehaj. Mr. Shehaj would have to leave his mandate, so there would be a huge cost to this job. But in politics, big challenges make a politician stand out. While I honestly do not understand Ilir Alimehmeti. If I were in his place, I would lobby in every way to run. There will never be a better moment. A politician of the breed lives for such a challenge. Coming after a catastrophic result, everyone would justify his defeat. But it is the highest price for a young politician to fight to be Mayor of the Capital. You are no one's hope when you play the negotiator, but when you go to war and show the differences with others. Both of these figures seem acceptable to me even for other parties of the opposition spectrum.