In the race to lead the country’s largest municipality, an outsider to traditional politics has entered: Dritan Gremi, an entrepreneur with over two decades of experience at home and abroad, has announced his candidacy for Mayor of the Municipality of Tirana, aiming to bring business-spirit, management discipline and results-transparency into the administration.
Positioned far from politics, neither left nor right, Gremi says he joined this campaign because of a civic revolt he feels against injustices; a revolt not through violence, but through awareness and responsibility.
“I don’t believe in the left nor the right. To me they died years ago. The vote must go to one who signs a contract with the citizen and takes responsibility for every signature. If you don’t, that vote is wasted.”
THE CITY IS NOT POLITICS’ PROPERTY
In the podcast N’Kafe te Gremi with journalist Anduela Ndreu, candidate Dritan Gremi says that the city of Tirana cannot be a monopoly of politics.
“The Municipality of Tirana is not, and should not be, a monopoly of politics. It belongs only to the people. The idea that only politics can move this city forward must end,” he says.
CAMPAIGN – A CONTRACT WITH CITIZENS, NOT DOOR-TO-DOOR
At a time when political promises have become a routine offer, entrepreneur Dritan Gremi enters the race for the leadership of the Municipality of Tirana with a completely different philosophy. He does not promise door-to-door meetings, but direct communication with citizens through a public platform: the podcast N’Kafe te Gremi.
“My campaign will not be door-to-door, as it has been for the past 35 years. People are tired and bored of repetitive campaigns filled with hugs, handshakes, and empty promises. Together with Anduela, in this podcast, I will explain to citizens — without tiring them — the program they truly need,” says Gremi, clearly defining his communication style. It is a way to reach people directly, where everyone can “meet” him on their phone, at any moment they wish and without being disturbed.
A CIVIC REVOLT, NOT POLITICS
Dritan Gremi sees the leadership of the municipality as a professional challenge, not a political career, and believes that public management can be carried out with the same standards of accountability as in business. He enters this race as a representative of a new spirit — not for power, but out of vocation and civic responsibility — to contribute to a better and fairer Tirana for its citizens.
At a time when politics is often viewed with distrust, he seeks to prove that an entrepreneur can be an effective public administrator if guided by vision, responsibility, integrity, and the desire to do his job well.
“This step of mine is a civic revolt. A reaction to many things that do not work in this city. Tirana is currently in collapse; nothing functions as it should. We pay endless taxes and do not receive the service we deserve.”
FROM BUSINESS TO THE CITY’S CHALLENGE
Dritan Gremi e ka ndërtuar suksesin jashtë vendit, për ta sjellë atë edhe në Shqipëri. Ai e sheh kandidimin e tij jo si ambicie personale, por si një përgjigje ndaj mungesës së reagimit institucional ndaj thirrjeve që ai ka bërë ndër vite. Gjatë bashkëbisedimit të tij në podcast, ai thekson se ky hap ishte domosdoshmëri:
“Në një moment të caktuar, kupton se nuk ke rrugë tjetër veçse të futesh vetë brenda sistemit dhe ta ndryshosh,” — shprehet Dritan Gremi.
“MY PROGRAMME IS NOT A LIST OF PROMISES, BUT SOLUTIONS”
At the center of his campaign stands the program “10 Solutions,” a package that, as Gremi himself says, is only the beginning of a new way of thinking about city management:
“The ‘10 Solutions’ program should serve as a springboard that pushes the trend of management toward a different reality. This city doesn’t need just 10, but 150 or even 1500 solutions. Each year it carries wounds that no one has the courage to address.”
Dritan Gremi’s candidacy is based on a program with 10 concrete points, which he says are practical and measurable:
- Tirana as the city of cleanliness and civic responsibility – cleaning the “spider webs” of the city, cables and overhead lines
- 30 social parking lots – combating urban stress and traffic
- Smart and green public transport – Tirana that moves cleanly
- Trotuaret — ec lirisht në qytetin tënd
- Sidewalks – walk freely in your city
- Public spaces for children – schoolyards opened
- Tirana of students – the city where the future begins
- Tirana that restores smiles – care for the elderly
- Tirana of sustainable tourism – from centre to suburbs
- Come back home and build your Tirana
JUSTICE - THE ONLY GOOD IN 35 YEARS OF TRANSITION
Unusually for a mayoral candidate, Gremi emphasises justice as a foundational pillar for society.
“My business and I have carried a lot on our shoulders. But I believe that the only hope to get through the transition is independent justice. SPAK is one of the best things to happen to this country in 35 years, so those prosecutors must be strongly supported.”
In this way, Dritan Gremi does not present himself as a typical candidate. He seeks to speak the language of citizens, not of politics. With a campaign that promises no rallies but public dialogue, he begins his path toward the partial elections for the Municipality of Tirana with a simple message:
“Tirana needs management, not propaganda.”
WHO IS DRITAN GREMI?
From emigration to international success
Dritan Gremi’s story is one of those success journeys that start from nothing. At the age of 15, he left Albania by boat to build a different life in the West.
After many years of work and experience in Italy, he became part of major projects in the fields of tourism and healthcare, building a career that is now recognized beyond Albania’s borders — in France, Italy, England, and across Europe.
Prestigious international media such as CNN International, AFP, FORBES France, M6, France 2, France 24, Le Figaro, LA7, Il Sole 24 Ore, L’Express, RTL Info, and TV5 Monde have told his story — the story of an Albanian boy who, like many others, left with a big dream and returned to his country to build the future. They have portrayed him as the example of an emigrant who never gave up, who worked with integrity, built with patience, and came back not for privilege, but to contribute.
He returned because he believes that Albania is not a country to be abandoned, but a country that can rise, develop, and restore hope.
Today, he stands before the citizens as one of them — an Albanian who has experienced hardship, who has felt both departure and return, and who truly believes that Tirana can become fairer, more humane, and more dignified.
Because this country does not need empty promises, but a new spirit, willpower, hard work, and people who serve the city — not themselves.
A RETURN TO BUILD
After many years abroad, Gremi decided to return to Albania to build a sustainable-based business, investing in quality services and promoting the country’s image.
The project “Gremi Clinic” is among the most recognised in health-tourism, presented at international fairs like ITB Berlin and many others. Through health-tourism, he sought to intertwine three components: business, Tirana and Albania, aiming both at improving the country’s image and growing it in that field.
MEMORY TOURISM
Since returning to Albania, Dritan Gremi has also focused on initiatives that connect tourism with history through the concept of “memory tourism,” such as the project “The Artist’s House,” created with his late friend Agim Rada.
“A country that forgets cannot move forward. Memory and civic dignity are essential parts of a modern city,” he says.
The full interview with Dritan Gremi can be watched on YouTube in the podcast “N’Kafe te Gremi,” as well as on social media.
