After the dismissal of Anuela Ristani from the powers to lead the Municipality of Tirana, Erion Veliaj seems to be preparing the next move within the largest local institution in the country. According to sources, the list of possible departures also includes Deputy Mayor Blendi Sulaj, one of the names brought to the Municipality after the political intervention of Prime Minister Edi Rama and at a time when Belinda Balluku's influence on Tirana's structures had increased significantly.
Sulaj was appointed Deputy Mayor of Tirana on 31 July 2025, following the resignation of four previous Deputy Mayors: Frida Pashako, Keti Luarasi, Andi Seferi and Jonida Halili. At the time, the changes were read as a reformation of the Municipality following Veliaj's arrest and as an attempt to place the institution under new political control. Blendi Sulaj, Gentian Këri, Ilir Mengra and Vasilika Vjero were introduced as the new leadership team, at a time when the Municipality of Tirana had entered an unusual phase of remote management.
Veliaj's first strong move came on August 28, 2026, when from his cell he revoked the order by which he had delegated powers to Deputy Mayor Anuela Ristani on February 14, 2025. In his order, Veliaj claimed that Ristani had not implemented the instructions and had broken away from his authority as elected mayor. A few days later, on August 31, 2026, Ristani also resigned from the position of Deputy Mayor of the Municipality.
Now, according to the same political logic, Blendi Sulaj's turn seems to be approaching. He is seen as one of the established names in the Municipality during the period when Rama and Balluku were trying to manage the vacuum created by Veliaj's arrest. But after the Constitutional Court's decision, which confirmed that Veliaj remains mayor of Tirana, the latter seems to have launched a counteroffensive to regain real control of the institution.
Essentially, the battle is not just about the names of deputy mayors. It is about the signature, the seal and the chain of command in the Municipality of Tirana. After the departure of Ristan, the departure of the general secretary and the movements in the cabinet, the possible dismissal of Sulaj would be another signal that Veliaj is not accepting to remain the formal mayor, while the Municipality is politically run by others.
If the order is signed today, it would mark the second phase of the internal purge in the Municipality of Tirana. And the message would be clear: Veliaj, even from prison, is trying to dismantle the structure that was placed over his head after his arrest, removing one by one the people he no longer considers part of his circle of trust.
