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Salianji versus the Rama model: A possible ambition or an impossible mission in the DP?
2026-03-20 14:21:17 / IDE
In my analysis published on October 23, 2025, I raised a fundamental question about the internal dynamics of the Democratic Party: can Ervin Salianji repeat in the DP what Edi Rama once achieved in the PS? Today, this question not only remains relevant, but has taken on a new dimension after his declaration to run for party leadership.
This development marks an important turning point. Until yesterday, Salianji seemed like a figure in reflection, while today he has formalized his ambition for leadership, entering directly into a political confrontation that, apparently, is unequal.
In formal terms, his candidacy does not face statutory obstacles. However, political “artifices” can be used to limit or delegitimize this competition. Paradoxically, any attempt to hinder Ervin Salianji risks producing the opposite effect: strengthening it. His narrative as “persecuted” by the government could be expanded, transforming him into a dissident even within the Democratic Party itself – a profile that has historically produced political capital.
But the most important and at the same time most problematic development is related to the fragmentation of the critical camp towards the current leadership. Other candidacies against Sali Berisha, coming from the ranks of his critics, risk not weakening him, but strengthening him. Instead of creating a united and competitive alternative, they could legitimize a formal competition, giving it the appearance of pluralism, but not the substance of a real challenge.
Concretely, the entry into the competition of several figures from the same critical camp directly weakens the possibility that Salianji has for a strong confrontation. The fragmentation of the vote and the lack of strategic coordination create a clear advantage for the current leadership, which not only controls the structures, but also benefits from the division of its opponents.
In this context, it must be said clearly: among Berisha's critics who have announced or are expected to announce their candidacy, there does not seem to be a more articulated profile in causes, positions and public confrontations than that of Salijanj. This makes him, objectively, the strongest potential candidate to build a real challenge.
For this reason, if there is a sincere will to challenge the current leadership, the real critics should take a step back and focus on supporting a single candidacy. On the contrary, although driven by the desire for change, they risk becoming factors that legitimize a "race without a race", further strengthening Sali Berisha's position within the party.
Compared to the case of Edi Rama, the difference becomes even more obvious. Rama benefited from a moment of unification and strategic support within the SP, where key figures such as Gramoz Ruçi played a decisive role. In the DP, on the contrary, we have a distribution of energies that risks extinguishing any real possibility of change.
Ultimately, Salijanj's candidacy is a significant development, but his fate will be determined not only by his relationship with the current leadership, but also by the ability of the critical camp to act as a united alternative. Without this unity, any challenge risks remaining symbolic – and any race, a mere confirmation of the status quo.
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