A sudden decision, coming at a moment when no one expected it, was made public a day ago by MP Marjana Koçeku. She decided to leave the Socialist Party and continue her parliamentary journey as an independent MP, just a year after the Socialists entrusted her with a mandate on the closed lists in the elections held in May 2025.
Her departure has brought a wave of reactions, dividing public opinion into two parts. Some citizens have applauded the MP’s decision, while others have asked her to hand over the mandate she received under the Socialist Party’s banner.
Among the critical voices was also the mayor of Lezha, Pjerin Ndreu, who in a recent reaction said, among other things: “Giving up the mandate obtained thanks to the votes of thousands of Shkodra socialists would be an act that would ennoble my friend, Marjana Koçeku.”
Meanwhile, it is learned that the MP’s decision has not yet been officially communicated to the chairman of the Socialist Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla. Sources for Top Channel indicate that some of the socialist colleagues have attempted to contact Koçek after her announcement, but have not been able to communicate with him.
According to the same sources, the MP’s phone has been turned off during this entire time, making it impossible to communicate with her. And at a time when the Socialists are unable to communicate with her, Koçeku just an hour ago decided to react again on social networks. This time she published a flamingo, a symbol of the citizen protest that has gathered thousands of citizens in the capital for two weeks, but not only. This post made by Koçeku has been interpreted as a clear message that the MP not only supports the protest, but also that she is publicly siding with it.
Her reaction came just hours after announcing on social media that she was leaving the Socialist Party. In a post on social media, Koçeku wrote: “As of today, I am an independent MP. My ideals and values are what I have had and expressed since before I was associated with a party. They define my boundaries.”
Meanwhile, during the meeting of the SP parliamentary group this Monday morning, Taulant Balla is quoted as having briefly stated that “we will talk about this issue at a later time.”
The departure of Marjana Koçek, also known to the public as “Neomalesorja”, is considered one of the most unexpected political developments of recent months. She was one of the new arrivals of the Socialists in the 2025 parliamentary elections and was placed at the top of the closed list of the SP in the Shkodra region, with the support of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the political leader of the region at the time, Benet Beci.
It now remains to be seen whether the MP will publicly explain the reasons for this decision, which has opened a debate not only within the Socialist Party, but also in public opinion.