Former advisors from President Trump’s campaigns are now involved in a campaign in Albania, aiming to support right-wing Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha. He is competing against the frontrunner, Socialist Party leader and Prime Minister Edi Rama, in the upcoming parliamentary elections on Sunday.

According to the Associated Press, the team backing Berisha includes former Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort, and strategist and pollster Tony Fabrizio. LaCivita has drawn parallels between Trump and Berisha, asserting that both are “unfairly prosecuted and persecuted by a government that has no regard for Democracy.”

In an interview with Syri TV’s Cim Peka, LaCivita emphasized the global importance of the Albanian election, stating that the Soros family is “very active in politics around the globe, and it’s not just regular politics, it’s destabilizing politics.” He further claimed that the family thrives “in an environment where the governments are insecure and they found the perfect home unfortunately in Albania, and they found the perfect prime minister in Edi Rama.”

Rama, the Socialist candidate, is seeking a fourth consecutive term as Prime Minister in Sunday’s election, campaigning on a platform of integrating Albania into the European Union, despite the country’s ongoing struggles with corruption.

LaCivita stressed the importance of highlighting Soros’ involvement, saying “because it has an impact on Albania’s future.” He described Berisha’s campaign as being “about the Albanian people,” and their desire “to be able to work, live, and raise a family and have a future and so any time that there are individuals or that there are organizations that want to create an atmosphere that make that difficult, to me they’re the actual enemy and those are the people that we wage campaigns to actually defeat.”

George and Alex Soros’ Open Society Foundations have made significant investments in the Balkans, including over $131 million in Albania over 18 years.

Requests for comment sent to representatives of the Soros’ Open Society Foundations did not receive a response by the time of publication.

In an April interview with Digital, Berisha discussed the obstacles he faced in the May 11 elections, particularly the sanctions imposed on him by the Biden administration in 2021 due to corruption allegations. “I’m not able to meet with Albanian Americans, which are so numerous, and in this election, for the first time, they have the right to vote for the party and candidate they prefer in their country of origin,” Berisha explained.

As of now, there have been no changes to the sanctions against Berisha. In April, the State Department did not answer Digital’s inquiries regarding the possibility of lifting sanctions or whether the existing sanctions were hindering fair elections in Albania. On Thursday, a spokesperson stated that “the Department has nothing to report on this designation at this time.”

Berisha’s campaign has been complicated by other factors, including the removal of his legal immunity in December 2023 and his placement under house arrest until November 2024. He is currently awaiting trial on corruption charges.

Berisha informed Digital that the charges against him were ” leved by Rama and Soros.”

Berisha isn’t the only opposition candidate facing charges as the election approaches. Former Albanian president Ilir Meta was also charged in October 2024.

Agim Nesho, former Albanian Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, told Digital that “May 11 elections are unfolding under intense pressure from the ruling Socialist Party, which has clung to power for over 12 years. The regime stands accused of jailing opposition leaders on fabricated charges, weaponizing state institutions, and silencing dissent in a country where citizens are increasingly afraid to speak freely.”

Nesho asserted that “the Albanian people are being denied the basic democratic rights to organize, vote, and oppose the government without fear. This system of repression, critics say, is supported—either tacitly or directly—by elements of the Biden administration and global actors like , who have worked to undercut the opposition and prevent free and fair elections, much like the political persecution seen in the United States against former President Donald Trump.”

Describing the “election could mark a turning point,” as “a true grassroots movement is rising—ready to challenge state corruption and restore Albania’s path to freedom, development, and democratic self-determination,” Nesho urged “on the Trump administration to closely monitor these elections and send a clear message to Tirana: America is watching.”

Nesho stated that “the United States must stand firmly on the side of democracy and the rule of law. The Albanian people deserve free elections, not another manipulated outcome enforced through fear and political imprisonment.”

Digital reports that while Rama’s Socialist Party appears to be ahead in polling, the impact of Albanian citizens living abroad being allowed to vote for the first time, combined with the unreliability of polling data, could create an opportunity for Berisha to win and return to the prime minister’s office.