“We are not talking about ongoing investigations, but I can say that what is happening is what we have been expecting. And of course, the Justice Reform of 2016 is working,” he said.
“We must allow SPAK to do its work, create the space for them to do so. I can also say that maybe that reform ensures that the judicial system is independent, independent from political influence. The elephant in the room, the main obstacle for Albania on the way to joining the EU is corruption”, said Gonzato.
“I think it is a good signal, I believe and hope that SPAK will do its job. Yes, we are also seeing that court is convicting people on corruption charge. So I think we need to open up the spectrum and address corruption in the most structural way,” the ambassador said.
Furthermore, Gonzato also spoke about the Electoral Reform, stressing the importance of implementing the recommendations of the OSCE.
He emphasized that he hopes that the parties will find a way to meet the expectations of Albanian citizens.
According to the ambassador, the next elections should avoid an electoral result, which can be disputed.
“This is something that has concerned me since the beginning, when I came to Albania last December. And I have made my position clear, based on our official document, it is important to follow the recommendations of the OSCE and to do it comprehensively. I hoped that the contacts with the various parties would yield results”, he said.

“We want to avoid an electoral result, which may be disputed, but which produces a stability that Albania needs on the pathway to the EU. These are decisive times for negotiations with the EU and we need administrative capacity and political determination for European integration”, he said.
/r.e/sm/