By Desada Metaj
Tomorrow, the Constitutional Court is expected to hold a hearing on the Balluku case. Public interest is extraordinary. Not because Agron Shehaj has announced a rally in front of the Constitutional Court, for which it is still not clear whether he is in support or against it, but because it is an issue that clearly and unequivocally divides some of the fundamental lines of the country's political and institutional life.
This is an issue that separates the hypocrisy of politics so far — which in public statements supports justice and the fight against impunity — from real positions, as soon as justice touches the power or the party chair. It will divide whether the Democratic Party led by Berisha will really make a contribution against corruption, or will continue the de facto cooperation with Rama, as has happened so far. It will also divide whether in the Constitutional Court we finally have a majority subject to the political pressure of Prime Minister Rama, or an institution that remains truly independent.
So far, it is known that only three judges, part of the minority in the interim decision, have held a clear and articulate position. The others have not yet expressed themselves definitively.
This issue will also test the positioning of internationals in the face of the consolidation of the justice system. It is not without significance that the two most important ambassadors in the country — that of the European Union and that of the United States of America — have paid visits to the Constitutional Court. These are not formal visits to produce photos for social networks, but clear political and institutional signals about the importance of the moment.
Of course, the case will also show whether Balluku's political and criminal fate is inseparable from that of Rama. The latter seems to be "all eyes and ears" of the Constitutional Court. He proved this two days ago, when he showed extreme attention to the issue of judges' salaries, to the point of once again attacking the Constitutional Court for a decision that has not yet been made.
Even, with almost excessive attention, he congratulated SPAK for not joining the judges' association. A small but significant detail that betrays him: SPAK was not actually a party to that trial and was not even summoned. It was simply an opportunity for Rama to send flattering signals, both to SPAK and to the public, to create the perception that he does not always attack SPAK. Sometimes, he even congratulates it — even when there is no real reason to do so.
We hope that tomorrow's public hearing will be broadcast live, not simply as a formal standard, but as a public good. The trial will take place, but most likely there will not be a decision yet. However, the transparency of the process, the arguments of the parties, the questions of the judges and the debate between them will clearly show where the law stands — at least as far as the general public has the intuitive ability to understand it.
Since the interim decision of the Constitutional Court, which suspended Balluk's "suspension from duty", many things have happened. Speculations have increased, internal intrigues — and not only that — have taken on a new dynamic. The only thing that has not changed is Balluk's mystical silence.
Apparently, she has delegated this battle to Rama himself, leaving an essential question unanswered: is this a free political choice by Rama, or a political and criminal obligation to enter into a direct confrontation with justice?
This will be understood in the coming days. To this day, one thing is clear: his majority is on a barricade ready for a real battle against the new justice system — the one that Edi Rama packages as "his and the SP's creation."
