The European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder (S&D, Austria), commented on the developments regarding the Belinda Balluku case, stressing that Albanian institutions must take the right decisions and that the work of SPAK should not be hindered.
During a press conference, Schieder stated that the European Parliament does not comment on specific legal or judicial issues, but expects Albanian institutions to do their job, while SPAK acts on the basis of its own findings and assessments.
He underlined that SPAK's work must remain uninterrupted and not be hindered by other institutions or actors, warning that any intervention that undermines justice reform could undermine the integrity that Albania has gained in recent years in the fight against corruption.
"We support the work of SPAK. All other institutions should support SPAK," Schieder said.
The EP rapporteur also stressed that Albania should strengthen the fight against corruption, decriminalize defamation and increase transparency on media financing.
Regarding political developments and the debate about a caretaker government, Schieder said that he is not in Albania to comment on domestic politics, but in his institutional role as rapporteur for the country, calling for more dialogue and less dramatization.
