The European Political Community (EPC) summit will be held in Tirana on May 16, 2025, five days after Albania’s parliamentary elections, A2 CNN has learned.
This summit, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, will bring together European leaders and serve as an important opportunity for Albania’s integration process, as well as strengthening democratic institutions. It will also offer a platform for discussions about the future of the region and deeper cooperation with other members of the European Political Community.
The previous EPC summit took place in Budapest on November 7, 2024, and was led by Hungarian President Viktor Orban.
Earlier discussions had considered holding the summit on May 9, 2025, but smaller political parties raised concerns that this would influence the outcome of the parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for May 11. These parties proposed an alternative date of May 4 to the Albanian president, Bajram Begaj, to avoid a potential conflict.
However, President Begaj officially decreed May 11, 2025, as the election date, stressing that this timing had been coordinated with international partners to ensure the EPC summit would take place after the elections.
The Albanian President also held consultations with political actors regarding the election date, but these meetings were rejected by the opposition, who claimed they were mere formalities and argued that the date was set under the instructions of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
