Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet
Albania Becomes Movement Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | LSHB |
| Leader | Adriatik Lapaj |
| Founder | Adriatik Lapaj |
| Founded | 18 September 2023 |
| Headquarters | Rruga Jeronim De Rada, Tirana |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| National affiliation | Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet |
| Colours | Black Orange |
| Parliament | 1 / 140 |
| Municipalities | 0 / 61 |
| Council seats | 0 / 1,613 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Albania Becomes Movement (Albanian: Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet, LSHB) is a political party in Albania founded by lawyer and activist Adriatik Lapaj on 18 September 2023. The party emerged from a civic movement and campaigns on electoral reform, direct democracy, anti-corruption, the rule of law, meritocracy and citizen participation.[1][2]
The movement was registered as a political party in 2024 and led the electoral coalition Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet in the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, together with Nisma Thurje and the League for the Rights of Albanian Workers.[3][4] The coalition won one seat in the Parliament of Albania, with Ana Dajko becoming its sole MP after a post-election dispute over the allocation of the mandate.[5][6][7]
History
Founding as a civic movement
Adriatik Lapaj presented Shqipëria Bëhet on 18 September 2023 as a civic-political movement. In his launch speech, Lapaj called for opening political competition, adopting a referendum law and introducing more direct democracy, arguing that Albanian citizens should have a greater role in decision-making beyond the established parties.[1]
The movement described itself as a civic initiative seeking to strengthen the rule of law, human rights, competition, meritocracy and the democratic functioning of the Albanian republic.[2] It organised local meetings and consultations across Albania and with the Albanian diaspora, presenting itself as an alternative to the long-standing dominance of the Socialist Party and Democratic Party.[8]
Registration as a party
On 15 October 2024, Lapaj announced that Shqipëria Bëhet had been registered in the Albanian court system as a political party. In the same interview he said that the movement was willing to cooperate with political forces that had not held power in the post-communist period.[3]
2025 parliamentary election
Ahead of the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, LSHB formed the coalition Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet with Nisma Thurje and the League for the Rights of Albanian Workers. The coalition was registered with the Central Election Commission in March 2025; LSHB was the leading party of the coalition and Lapaj was its political leader.[4]
The coalition campaigned on electoral reform, diaspora voting, referendums, depoliticisation of the electoral administration and greater citizen accountability. Tirana Times described the coalition as one of several new entrants attempting to challenge Albania's PS–PD political duopoly, while noting that the electoral system and limited media visibility created barriers for smaller parties.[8]
In the election, Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet won one of the 140 seats in parliament, with 64,264 votes, or 4.00 per cent of the valid national vote.[5] Lapaj criticised the regional proportional electoral system, arguing that it under-represented new political forces and calling for a national proportional system with open lists, similar to the electoral model used in Kosovo.[9] Analysts in Monitor similarly noted that the regional proportional system and D'Hondt method favoured larger parties and penalised new or smaller parties such as Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet.[10]
The allocation of the coalition's only mandate became the subject of a dispute between coalition partners and candidates. In August 2025, the Electoral College resolved the dispute and the Central Election Commission was able to certify the result; the single seat was assigned to Ana Dajko, the first name on the coalition's closed list. Albanian Times reported that the decision left both Lapaj and Endri Shabani outside parliament.[6] Shqiptarja.com likewise reported that the Electoral College upheld the decision giving the mandate to Dajko, rather than to Lapaj or other candidates who were later proposed during the dispute.[7]
Ideology and platform
LSHB is generally described as a civic, anti-establishment and reformist movement rather than a traditional ideological party. Its public programme and campaign rhetoric emphasise direct democracy, electoral reform, anti-corruption, rule of law, meritocracy, diaspora participation and institutional accountability.[1][8]
Electoral and democratic reform
The party advocates a referendum law, greater use of direct democracy, open candidate lists, term limits for elected and governing posts, and changes to the electoral system. Its platform also calls for the depoliticisation of election administration, including the replacement of party-controlled electoral bodies with professional administrators and representatives of the justice system.[1][8]
After the 2025 election, Lapaj argued that Albania's regional proportional system distorted representation and favoured large parties. He called for a national proportional system with open lists, citing Kosovo as a model.[9]
Rule of law and anti-corruption
The party presents anti-corruption and the rule of law as core themes. Its official website describes the movement as aspiring to strengthen the rule of law, human rights, meritocracy and the democratic functioning of the state.[2] During the 2025 campaign, the coalition's platform was described by Tirana Times as focused on citizen participation and accountability, as well as breaking the dominance of the two main parties.[8]
Diaspora and citizen participation
The movement has sought support among the Albanian diaspora and has argued that Albanian citizens abroad should have voting rights and representation. Diaspora participation became especially relevant in the 2025 election, the first Albanian parliamentary election in which citizens living abroad were able to vote by mail.[11]
Election results
Parliamentary elections
| Election | Leader | Coalition | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Adriatik Lapaj | Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet | 64,264 | 4.00 | 1 / 140 |
New | Opposition |
References
- 1 2 3 4 "'Shqipëria Bëhet', Adriatik Lapaj founds new political movement". Euronews Albania. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Shqiperia Behet". Shqipëria Bëhet (in Albanian). Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Adriatik Lapaj jep lajmin: 'Shqipëria Bëhet' u regjistrua si parti politike në gjykatë! Gati bashkëpunimi me Sokon dhe Shabanin". Shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 15 October 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "'Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet' regjistrohet në KQZ. Tre parti bashkohen për zgjedhjet e 11 majit". A2 CNN (in Albanian). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 Republic of Albania: Parliamentary Elections, 11 May 2025, ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report (PDF) (Report). OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 2025. p. 35. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "CEC certification clears final hurdle; single Nisma mandate awarded to political newby". Albanian Times. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Ana Dajko shpallet deputete e Nismës Shqipëria Bëhet, Kolegji Zgjedhor mbyll sagën e përplasjes Lapaj-Shabani". Shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 25 August 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Albanian Elections – New Political Forces Challenge Albania's Political Duopoly". Tirana Times. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 "'Jemi forcë e tretë politike', Lapaj kërkon ndryshimin e Kodit Zgjedhor: Kemi 63 mijë vota, meritonim 6 mandate". BalkanWeb (in Albanian). 17 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Shqipëria voton, formula vendos". Monitor (in Albanian). 14 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Albania Parliament May 2025 Election". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 24 June 2026.