On the other hand, Rama revealed that ‘the Judges’ Association is seeking to secure an additional increase of 1,600 euros, on top of their current salaries, for magistrates and their advisors, bypassing both the government and parliament.

Below is the full response from Prime Minister Rama:

The Judges’ Association has issued a statement to complain about the ‘pressure’ I supposedly exerted on the Constitutional Court. There are two possible explanations for this:
Either they do not understand the meaning of the word ‘pressure,’ as they have not raised similar concerns about others who have been attacking the judiciary in every form or shape for years, or they know that when they criticize me, no harm comes to them, because for the past ten years, I have not been fighting against them, but rather fighting on their behalf – even silently addressing, as part of the Justice Reform, the painful ‘missteps’ within the judiciary that have harmed the rights and freedoms of the people in this country and jeopardized the interests of the state.

However, the National Association of Judges is greatly mistaken if it expects me to remain silent and refrain from sharing my opinion with the public, especially when I am personally involved in a constitutional case. The position I hold, elected by nearly one million Albanians, has been attacked in its independence by both a prosecutor and a judge, and it is at risk of being crippled, both now and in the future, in its very core structure.”
Furthermore, the National Association of Judges should understand that it would be equally wrong to expect my silence regarding its repeated and scandalous request to the Constitutional Court for the (re)increase of judges’ salaries by judicial decision, effectively usurping the powers of both the government and the parliament.

“My silence the first time, before that disgraceful and unexpected decision was made, will not be repeated this time. With its current request, the Association of Judges is attempting to tap into the state budget, bypassing both the government and parliament, to secure a new increase of a full 1600 euros – yes, 1600 euros, on top of their current salary – for the magistrates and their advisors.
Meanwhile, the government and I, along with the parliamentary majority that I have the privilege of leading, warmly welcome any institutional dialogue with the association in question, aimed at addressing the needs and challenges of the new justice system. The sacred principle of judicial independence must be safeguarded at all costs, not only against external interference, regardless of its origin – including from myself – but also against the internal decay of judicial irresponsibility, which steadily erodes the public’s trust in justice.”
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