The leader of the Together Movement, Arlind Qori, has denied Prime Minister Edi Rama's statement regarding the increase in pensions in Albania. According to Qori, Rama did not talk about the minimum pension, which includes the majority of pensioners, but only mentioned promises for a minority of pensioners who have contributed full years to the social security scheme.
This category, according to Qori, usually includes only public administration employees. He emphasizes that the prime minister's promise of an increase in pensions to 40,000 lek after four years refers only to this minority of pensioners.
"First, Edi Rama did not speak at any moment about the minimum pension. For the May 11 elections, he promised that the minimum pension in Albania would be 20 thousand new lekë. Nowhere has he spoken today about the minimum pension, which is the pension received by a large part of pensioners who do not have enough years of work to earn a better pension.
Also, when he speaks after four years that the pension will become 40 thousand lekë, he is talking about a minority of pensioners. For those pensioners who have been lucky enough to contribute full years to the social security scheme. So, over 38 years. This category usually includes only public administration employees," explains Qori.
He explains that for most pensioners, the real increase in pensions for January 2026 will be only 5-8%. According to Qori, the bonus distributed at the end of the current year will be the last and no special distribution is expected in 2026. He specifies that, if this amount is divided into 12 months, pensioners will receive about 1,300 lek additional per month.
"Now, of course, for 2029, Edi Rama can promise a lot, he can promise us that we will live with a golden spoon, but it is very important what he promises in the near future, in January 2026. The increase in pensions, the average increase in pensions for different categories of pensioners for January 2026, will be between 5-8%.
However, this end of the year will be the last where Edi Rama will give the pension bonus, in 2026 there will be no pension bonus. So, practically the amount of lek that pensioners would receive in December 2026, will be divided by 12 and Edi Rama in January will tell us that he increased the pensions. Here is the hand on the heart, almost the same figure, from a thousand and a half lek per month which is the bonus, if divided by 12 months, about 1,300 lek which will be in the year 2026", emphasizes the head of the Joint Movement.
In his statement, Qori also addresses the structural problems of the pension system in Albania. He says that a substantial increase in pensions cannot be achieved without fighting corruption, which he says includes the theft of billions of lek every year, directly affecting the income of pensioners.
"The pension problems in Albania will continue to be deep and this government does not have the minimum seriousness to deal with the structural causes of this situation. For pensions to increase substantially, corruption must be fought at its roots. This government steals billions every year and it is your money, first and foremost that of pensioners. You cannot both steal and increase pensions in a sustainable way.
Second, increasing pensions requires a relentless fight against informality, where today, according to official figures from this country, informality in work is over 44%. It also requires curbing emigration and the workforce. Around 50,000 young people of working age continue to leave Albania every year," he says.
Qori concludes by emphasizing that Rama's promises of greater pension increases are far from reality and do not address the needs of the majority of pensioners in Albania. According to him, the measures currently proposed by the government do not change the structural situation of the system and do not guarantee a real and sustainable increase for all pensioners, but only serve to throw ashes at the eyes.
