Speaking at a campaign event in Saranda, Sali Berisha declared that since 2013, food prices have doubled and that Albanians are, in his words, the most robbed citizens in Europe.

He stated that the people of Saranda are experiencing what he called the tyranny of poverty, and described their pensions as laughable.

“Saranda today is a city of elderly men and women who, after dedicating their lives to this district, are now surviving on an undeserved pension. Today, the construction worker, the farmer, the doctor, the teacher, the engineer, the professional—live on a pension that makes daily meals difficult and forces them to tell their children: that’s all there is, there’s nothing more for you,” Berisha said.

According to him, economists have shown that if pensions had followed price increases, they would now exceed 390,000 lekë.

“But that didn’t happen because citizens have been robbed like nowhere else in Europe,” he added.

“Pensioners live worse every day. They go without medication. This week, they can’t even afford their prescriptions. Who can survive on such a miserable pension? Don’t forget, 50% of them receive no more than 170,000 lekë. How is it possible that poverty has returned? Because prices have risen sharply—especially for basic food items.”

In conclusion, Berisha emphasized that the Democratic Party’s program is built on two core principles, and he urged citizens not to view it as a partisan project:

“Our program is based on two principles: money for the Albanian people and a new opportunity for every citizen. Don’t judge it as a political project, but as a project for every Albanian,” he said.