The end of August will determine the fate of government officials/ Who will continue and who will be replaced?

The political autumn is expected to be tense and full of new developments. In September, the new parliamentary session begins, marking the start of the new legislature, with many new MPs taking their seats in Parliament for the first time, selected by various political forces.

Important developments and internal clashes are expected within the Democratic Party.

The battle is likely to focus not only on leadership but also on key positions that will determine the role of the opposition both inside and outside Parliament.

So far, the position of party chairman remains held by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, but internal developments and new dynamics are expected to challenge this position in the coming months.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Socialist Party is no less active. The government is officially on summer break, but before the cabinet took some time to relax, Prime Minister Edi Rama held a meeting with ministers at the end of July, where a detailed review of their work was conducted. The focus was placed on the action to free up public spaces, an initiative seen as the first test following the victory of the fourth governing mandate.

This initiative is considered a test that will determine whether the current ministers will retain their positions during the new legislature. No name is guaranteed, even though some of them are among the longest-serving figures in the Rama cabinet. Mirela Kumbaro holds the record with over nine years in ministerial posts, followed by Ogerta Manastirliu with eight years, and Belinda Balluku with six years.

The Prime Minister assigned specific tasks to each minister as part of the public spaces operation. Ogerta Manastirliu and Arbjan Mazniku were appointed to lead the administrative and human resources analysis in the Tirana Municipality. Belinda Balluku and Anila Denaj were tasked with overseeing public services and auditing finances, while Arben Malaj was assigned the role of financial auditor.

Blendi Gonxhja, together with the city’s transport director, will lead teams documenting public spaces, parking areas, and traffic in the capital through photographs.

For the Tirana area, special attention was requested from the acting Mayor Anuela Ristani and Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu. Meanwhile, in the south, in Vlorë, Mirela Kumbaro was placed in charge of inspections of public spaces on beaches and environmental pollution.

It will only be at the end of August that it will become clear how well the current ministers have fulfilled their mission and who will remain in the cabinet going forward. Their performance during this period will be decisive in determining whether they receive a new mandate in Edi Rama’s fourth government.

“KORÇA BOOM”