Addressing the conference “7 years of transitional re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Albania,” which also marked the end of the term of the Independent Qualification Commission and the Public Commissioner, Ilia thanked Albanian parliament and international partners, the United States of America and the European Union, for their trust.

“The justice system reform in Albania was part of the urgent need to consolidate the judiciary in many aspects and restore public trust in justice. For this reason, the re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors was indispensable in the efforts to overhaul the country’s justice system and three vetting bodies were tasked with the process,” Ilia said.

He noted that out of 805 decisions made by the Independent Qualification Commission, only 11% of them have been overturned, whereas 89% of them have been upheld, showing integrity of the decisions in the first instance of the vetting process.

With end of the vetting bodies’ term, as of January 2025, the judicial re-evaluation process will be transferred to the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) and the Ministry of Justice, marking a fresh chapter in its judicial reforms.

Since the process began in 2016, 805 officials have been vetted, with 268 losing their positions. The vetting will continue through to June 2026, with the aim of ensuring a more transparent and corruption-free judiciary.

/j.p/u.sh/

In a press release, the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation said that the draft decision on the Lake Ohrid will be included on agenda of next year’s Committee meeting,

The Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation fully supported the draft decisions of the World Heritage Committee, which just formalized a unanimous position seen as very objective, totally correct and extremely professional.

“The fact that 90% of the substantive points of the decision on Butrint support for the state actions is very encouraging,” the Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, UNESCO only regretted that the boundary clarifications, expected since February 2023, are still pending.

UNESCO has announced that it will not list Butrint as a World Heritage Site in Danger this year. However, the organization has urged the Albanian authorities to address fragmented management and clarify property boundaries without delay.

Recent intensive meetings between Albanian officials and UNESCO leaders are seen as attempts to address UNESCO’s concerns.

/u.sh/

A series of draft resolutions and decisions will be put to a vote in the two-day session of parliament, impacting various sectors of public administration and justice.

According to the agenda, lawmakers are expected to vote the new members of the High Judicial Council and High Prosecutorial Council.

Lawmakers are expected to endorse several draft decisions, including establishment of the Public Sector Audit Subcommittee, the extension of the mandate for the Inquiry Commission on Public Sterilization Services and Health Check-ups. This extension will allow the commission more time to complete its investigations and report on its findings.

The session will also feature two interpellations. MP Ina Zhupa has requested a discussion with Blendi Gonxhja, the Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation. Meanwhile, MP Agron Shehaj has called for an interpellation with Ervin Mete, the Minister of Finance.

Parliament’s agenda also includes approval of the Attorney General’s activity report for 2023. This resolution will assess the performance of the Attorney General’s office, providing insight into its effectiveness over the past year. Also under review is the evaluation of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime, the High Inspector of Justice, and several other critical institutions including the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council.

Parliament is also expected to approve a draft agreement reached a day ago between the majority and the opposition on electoral reform.

/u.sh/

Meanwhile, the socialist members approved by a majority of votes the awarding of the title of “Honorary Citizen” to the chairman of the Democratic Union for Integration Ali Ahmeti, the largest Albanian party in North Macedonia, as well as the naming of a street in Tirana after Remzi Hoxha, the businessman who disappeared in 1995 by National Informative Service during Berisha’s time in office.

In addition, the Municipal Council also approved the naming of a street in Tirana after Tomor Malasi, former DP MP and former mayor of Tirana in 1991-’92.

Also, there was approved the financial reward for the “Partizani” football club, after the triumph in the national championship of the Superior Category for the 2022-2023 season./k.s/p.s./

At a hearing session, the Election Commissioner approved the requests filed by the embassies of Austria, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, France, Moldova’s Central Election Commission, Delegation of the European Union and Kosovo Democratic Institute to observe the local elections due on May 14.

The Commissioner also filled a number of vacancies in the city councils from the party lists in several municipalities across the country.

The Commissioner also decided to propose the Appeals and Sanctions Commission to impose administrative sanctions against several incumbent mayors, other local government officials and public administration officials for violating the electoral law

/r.e/u.sh/

Good afternoon!

I am personally appearing at this press point today, because I think that the decisions we just made are very important ones in the context of the resilience and the response to the war-driven inflation rate, as well as part of our commitment to support and assist the most vulnerable and the neediest people, but also to support those on duty. To this end, we have decided a pay hike for all the State Police workers, starting from the entry-level police officer to  the police inspector level and to the mid-level officers. The entry-level police officers will see the highest salary hike by 15% and the mid-level officers will see their monthly wage go up by 7%. The same goes for the Republican Guard officers, the prison staff and police that will see their monthly salaries also increase. The same decision goes for the Fire and Rescue Service workers. The government has also decided to increase the monthly wages for the public administration, not only for the civil servants, but also for the whole support administration worker and all these decisions enter into force immediately.

So all these categories of workers will see their next monthly salary increased according to the specifications made under the respective decisions and the percentage hike based on the categories, but what is worth most highlighting is that the principle is all the same since day one; he who earns less benefits larger support.

On the other hand, the same applies to the state pensions that have been re-indexed twice this year after being adjusted in line with the cost of living and the state pensions have registered a 9.5% increase compared to the previous year and the pensions hike will be materialized in the next payment.

The same decisions apply to the households participating in social assistance and economic welfare schemes that will see the economic assistance payment increase by 10 %, with female family heads with two children, who will have their welfare benefit doubled, following an earlier government decision to double the economic assistance payment to the female family heads with three children.

Likewise, the government has decided that the older adults over 65 are entitled to double economic welfare benefits so that we can help them to best cope with the rising consumer prices and living costs, as well as indexation of the payment for the disabled people benefiting from state assistance.

This is an anti-crisis package – we think a complete one – made available by the government at this stage in response to the efforts to protect people as much as possible from the war-driven inflation. It was not the government the one that triggered the inflation rate to go up and the government can’t eliminate inflation, neither the Republic of Albania, nor the US government, the EU government, or the government of China or any other country around the world that have been globally affected by the inflation.

On the other hand, we will monitor the saving dynamic and to this end I would like to urge everyone to accept the logic and the mentality of this situation and try to save, because by saving it is not just that we pay less from our households budget or the budget of the state institutions, but we can save more energy, because it not simply a matter of how high the energy price will go, but it is a matter whether the markets will be able to offer electricity for us to purchase, and I am talking about not only Albania, but about whole Europe and the whole world.

-Mr. Prime Minister, your position towards the Russian aggression on Ukraine is already public, but what is going to be Albania’s political position if the government faces a demand from the Russian citizens who are fleeing their country to escape mobilization to fight in the Ukraine war?

PM Edi Rama:  They are welcome to Albania!

-Mr. Prime Minister, shortly before the cabinet meeting, Tom Doshi, your former ally already declared a persona non grata, was noticed while walking out of the government building. Did you meet Mr. Doshi and what did you discuss with him? Will you forge an alliance in the upcoming local elections?

PM Edi Rama: I am not aware of this at all and I am not aware of the individuals or anyone walking in and walking out this building. This is something I am not tasked with. I enter the building through a certain door and I do my part of my job here and I don’t watch the ones entering or exiting the building. It is probably your job to spy on them. It is not my job to control them.

-Mr. Prime Minister, you affirmed that you will press ahead with the proposed fiscal amnesty despite the objections. Would you finalize it despite the objections from the European Union, given that Albania has already embarked on a process following the launch of the accession negotiations and the country would have to align national legislation with the acquis communautaire and if the EU members reject it? How are Albanian emigrants supposed to move or transfer to Albania two million euros given that one can’t move 10,000 euros without declaring the amount to the border and customs officials? How are they supposed to declare illegal money if the EU member states oppose it?

PM Edi Rama: Are you siding with Albanians or what? I don’t understand who you are siding with in this case? Whose plight or woes are you highlighting, because I didn’t understand it? I am here to solve the plight of the Albanian citizens and these suppositions whether this or that, he or she would reject or oppose it, they are all nonsense. We are discussing the idea with everyone and we are trying to build the basis where we can find an accord. It would be great if we agree. If we don’t agree 100%, it wouldn’t be a problem. We are here to do our job and deliver on our tasks regarding Albanians, while never violating the norms, never violating the principles and without inventing things that have nothing to do with the legislation and have nothing to do with the EU.

As to “the illegal money”, I would like to clarify something for everyone. This is not about illegal money, but it is about savings generated from undeclared work. It is not about the proceeds of illegal activities. The law is clear about the illegal activities and the bill clearly defines and stipulates the categories that are excluded from the amnesty and I would urge you to show a bit more respect for the so-called “illegal money” of the migrants, I think, some more respect and more self-awareness that this is not a bill for me, it is not for the politicians. No politician will be allowed to be included in the amnesty. It is not legislation for the judges or the prosecutors, it is not legislation for the police officers, and it is not for the former officials having senior positions within the administration.

This is not the law for a caste, but it is devised to help those who have spent years of their lives abroad to save money.

I am here because I believe in what I have believed since day one when I embarked on this path and I still continue to believe even more than yesterday. That’s why I am here. What can I do? I can only share my truths with you, I can reveal my goals and it is up to you to transform them all into fairytales. However, there is one thing I can’t understand. This is a law demanded by over 60% of the citizens of this country, this is a law demanded by the migrants who suffer a lot to transfer their money to Albania, but you still worry that the EU or America could become angry? What are you worried about? We will do things right by certainly cooperating with them.

Thank you!