TIRANA, Feb. 10, 2025 – The arrest on Monday of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj on corruption charges has sent shockwaves through Albania’s political landscape, with major potential implications for the ruling Socialist Party just three months ahead of parliamentary elections.
Veliaj, long regarded as a close ally of Prime Minister Edi Rama and a frontrunner to succeed him as leader of the Socialist Party, was detained by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office, known as SPAK.
The charges against him — which include passive and active corruption, money laundering, and asset concealment — stem from an extensive investigation into financial irregularities involving his family members and business entities linked to Tirana’s municipal administration.
SPAK prosecutors allege that suspicious transactions and contracts tied to individuals with direct interests in city projects highlight systemic corruption within local governance under Veliaj’s leadership. His wife, Ajola Xoxa, who is reportedly abroad, has also been ordered placed under house arrest as part of the investigation. Five large business owners have also been charged in the case.
Notably, Veliaj’s charges do not appear to be tied to the waste incinerator scandal, a high-profile case that has cost Albanian taxpayers tens of millions of euros and in which Veliaj has also faced frequent accusations and protests from the political opposition.
-Political ramifications for the Socialist Party-
Veliaj’s arrest strikes at the heart of the Socialist Party’s leadership, with potential repercussions that could ripple through Albania’s political system. A central figure within the party, Veliaj has been pivotal in shaping its public image in the Rama leadership years that saw the traditional leftist party with a communist legacy transformed in Rama’s and Veliaj’s image under the Renaissance takeover and three mandates in power nationally and at the Tirana municipal level.
Veliaj’s detention comes at a politically sensitive time, just as the Socialist Party is gearing up for parliamentary elections in May, in which Veliaj was slated to play an important role in Tirana, where he has created a personal power base after serving as mayor for three mandates. Rama had started to sideline Veliaj in recent months, however, as it became clear SPAK was investigating him for corruption.
Rama is seeking to continue to rule the country as prime minister for 16 years in a row by winning the next elections, despite a series of scandals that have seen several of its top government officials convicted, arrested or declared wanted.
Analysts also argue SPAK has indirectly helped the ruling party, by trying to decapitate the political opposition, which hasn’t been in power since 2013, through arresting key opposition leaders on corruption charges.
-Opposition happy but sees double standards-
Opposition parties have seized upon the arrest as validation of their longstanding claims that the Socialist Party has been complicit in fostering corruption at all levels of government. It has also accused the ruling party of having ties to organized crime groups.
For months, opposition leaders accused SPAK of dragging its feet on pursuing charges against Veliaj, arguing that evidence of wrongdoing has been clear for some time. They have also criticized SPAK for what they call politically motivated prosecutions of opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and former President Ilir Meta, while failing to act against high-ranking Socialist officials who are in office.
Belind Këlliçi, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party’s leadership and former Tirana mayoral candidate, said Veliaj’s arrest has panicked Prime Minister Rama, who “gave Veliaj up,” and SPAK should not stop at Veliaj as the sacrificial lamb but also look at the prime minister himself.
The public reaction to Veliaj’s arrest is likely to have many Albanians see it as a needed step toward holding powerful figures accountable. His supporters are likely to view it as politically motivated.
Veliaj’s legal troubles come at a politically sensitive time. Albania has made significant strides in judicial reform under pressure from the European Union, which sees an independent and effective judiciary as a prerequisite for the country’s EU accession ambitions. The EU has emphasized that corruption at all levels of governance must be addressed to bolster public trust in state institutions. This arrest, while politically charged, could demonstrate the increased assertiveness of Albania’s judiciary, especially SPAK, in tackling high-profile corruption cases.
