It's now official, Erion Veliaj is no longer the mayor of Tirana. The government's decision to dismiss him from office was published today in Official Journal making his removal effective.
On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Tirana Municipal Council proposed to the government, after a voting session with 50 votes, Veliaj's dismissalThe vote included votes from both political wings – the socialists and the opposition – and was motivated in part by the legal provision that provides for the termination of the mandate when the president is absent for more than three months.
During the meeting, there were absences of several members and withdrawals during the vote, while Veliaj asked to be heard before the vote, but his request was rejected by the socialist majority.
Read: Erion Veliaj's other Tirana
Legal experts have argued that the security measure against Veliaj – who is in custody on charges of corruption and money laundering – has led to his involuntary inability to be physically present during the vote, an issue that could be further debated in the Constitutional Court.
Erion Veliaj has been under investigation by SPAK since July 2024. In February 2025, he was arrested on suspicion of posing a threat to investigative work. In early September, he was officially charged with involvement in a corruption scheme related to building permits and the involvement of his family members in projects with dubious financing.
Part of the investigation has focused on his wife, Ajola Xoxa, and entrepreneurs who are financiers of her artistic projects.
What happens now?
Now that Veliaj's dismissal has been published in the Official Gazette and has officially entered into force, the process is entering an institutional phase with clear consequences, but also with legal and political fog.
According to Article 115 of the Constitution and Law No. 139/2015 “On Local Self-Government”, when a mayor's term is terminated prematurely, the President declares the vacancy and sets the date of local by-elections, within a period of 45 days from the date of the declaration of the vacancy.
Only after this act, the Central Election Commission (CEC) can initiate procedures for organizing the elections.
In the past, there have been precedents where the President has delayed the announcement of vacancies on the grounds that the dismissal processes were controversial or contested in the courts.
Lexo: The moral cause for which Veliaj is not being investigated
Cases like that of Valdrin Pjetri in Shkodër or Agim Kajmaku in Vora after the controversial 2019 local elections show that the processes of terminating mandates and organizing new elections have been complicated and highly politicized.
In some cases, the President's decisions have been contested by the government, and in other cases they have been left in silence by the institutions. In the case of former President Meta, there was even a motion for his dismissal.
According to Article 131 of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court has the authority to review disagreements regarding the dismissal of mayors, when they appeal the decision terminating their mandate.
The deadline for appealing is 15 days from the entry into force of the decision, which in this case is the date of publication in the Official Gazette, so, from September 26, 2025, Veliaj has until October 11, 2025 to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court.
If the Court decides that the decision is incompatible with the Constitution, it can overturn the government's decision and reinstate Veliaj, reversing the entire process.
Read also:
- The Veliaj File: Investigations, Accusations and Facts
- "Custom" road to Xoxa's palace
- "Harabel" artworks in Tirana
