TIRANA, November 5 /ATSH/ – Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku stated today that the European Commission’s progress report on Albania confirms the opposition’s long-standing concerns regarding EU integration, the rule of law and democratic governance.
Speaking at a press conference from the Assembly premises, Tabaku remarked that the citizen protests, now in their fifth month, reflect widespread public opposition to a system that has impoverished citizens and undermined democracy.
She emphasized that the protests began in response to four laws that conflict with European integration commitments, despite repeated opposition calls for the Assembly to review and amend them.
Tabaku cited amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, the Law on Strategic Investments, the “Mountain Package” and the strategic port project, all of which, according to her, run counter to the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).
“The European Commission’s latest progress report on Albania serves as a mirror reflecting the government’s long-standing approach to the integration process. A prime example is the Law on Strategic Investments, which was extended six times before being rebranded under a new name while retaining the exact same principles. Similarly, the “Mountain Package” was adopted in direct violation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). Along with the legislation surrounding the “strategic port,” the report explicitly identifies these laws as major obstacles to Albania’s EU integration,” said Tabaku.
The Democratic Party MP emphasized that Albania should not focus solely on the speed of reforms, but, above all, on their credibility and genuine implementation.
She also addressed the territorial and electoral reforms, stressing that they must be grounded in dialogue and consensus among political parties. According to Tabaku, the territorial reform was pushed through unilaterally—relying solely on the votes of the Parliamentary majority—despite the European Commission’s recommendations to engage in dialogue with the opposition.
“The European Commission’s progress report highlights critical issues regarding both territorial and electoral reforms. While last year’s report urged the Socialist majority to pursue a consensus-based outcome through dialogue with the opposition, a territorial reform has since been pushed through unilaterally using only majority votes. This redistricting drifts away from genuine local self-governance, serving instead the interests of a select few—a point explicitly noted in the report. Furthermore, despite promising open dialogue on territorial and administrative changes, the majority has now taken an adversarial stance on electoral reform, an area where the progress report underscores the need for broad, cross-party consensus,” she stated. /m.q/r.e/a.f/p.s./
