Prime Minister Edi Rama, at the parliamentary group meeting, articulated a strong stance on the situation in the justice system, emphasizing that the current phase should be transitional and that the country does not have the luxury of wasting time learning the lessons that other countries have belatedly learned.
"The hope is that this phase will be temporary. I hope that the repeated abuses outside the framework of independent judicial power will cease, because otherwise we will not be able to have an independent judiciary, nor a functional state," Rama said.
He stressed that these are lessons that many countries have learned at great cost and delay, but Albania – according to him – cannot allow the core of economic development to be damaged, as has happened elsewhere. “There are thousands of studies, doctorates on this topic. I personally stand with hope and faith and try to feed hope to many disappointed partisans of justice reform,” he said, adding that cases of “unnecessary brutality” by prosecutors and judges have increased.
According to Rama, the biggest problem is the lack of institutional reflection. He accused the prosecutorial and judicial councils of responding to his concerns with standard statements about "not putting pressure on justice," instead of addressing the essence of the issues.
"Basically, I raise serious issues that should be taken into consideration by the drafters of useless statements. Before they write the word 'pressure' about the biggest supporter of their independence, which is me personally, it would be good for them to remember where they were hiding before I came," Rama declared.
He stressed that the government will not interfere in concrete justice issues, but will raise its voice for human rights, for the rights of state employees and for the guarantees of judicial power as essential elements of a democratic state. "When I enter into the merits of a case, how long it has been under investigation, let's discuss it. But when I raise my voice about the scandalous level of detentions and the councils do nothing to view that report with maximum respect, but are content with statements about me, then it is worth putting your hands on your head," he said.
