The Democratic Party of Albanians, led by Menduh Thaci, announced that it will leave its coalition with the DUI party.

Albanian language media outlets are reporting that Thaci will publicly explain his decision i nthe coming days, but officials in the party have confirmed his decision. DPA would remain in communication only with DUI leader Ali Ahmeti, but will stop participating in the activities of the European Front – the movement that Ahmeti has created with several smaller Albanian parties.

Thaci is member of Parliament, elected on the joint list with DUI, and this move reduces Ahmeti’s group in Parliament to 17. If he decides to join the ruling coalition of VMRO-DPMNE, VLEN and ZNAM, it could shore up the two-thirds majority that Mickoski is closed to.

DPA was once a major party in the Albanian bloc and was the preferred partner for VMRO-DPMNE in two coalitions. But over time, especially after the death of its leader Arben Xhaferi, it lost out in the battle with DUI, and eventually Thaci accepted the position of a junior partner to DUI. It was recently speculated that Thaci was meeting VMRO-DPMNE officials, allegedly as an envoy from Ahmeti who was himself eager to join the ruling coalition. But it now appears that the meetings had a different goal, and that Thaci was negotiating his own moves. The announcement comes as DUI is hoping to increase support among Albanian voters to challenge the Government and to weaken the position of the VLEN coalition.