Prime Minister Edi Rama continues his round of meetings with socialists, this time at the Socialist Party Assembly in Vlora, where he focused on Justice Reform. He tried to convince his supporters that the parliamentary majority is not being used to hinder him and that the Socialist Party has not betrayed the vote received from the citizens.
"We do not betray and have not betrayed the vote. We did not get the vote to reverse the justice reform. We will see the justice reform through to the end. Without our will, justice would not have become independent. The sword of justice was in my office since 1912 and we handed it over to another government, and we do not intend to take it back," said Rama.
A strong statement in form. But in content, the political reality seems less epic.
Because while Rama talks about the "sword of justice", with the much more concrete sword of 82 votes in parliament he decided to ignore justice when he defended Belinda Balluku's immunity. It was a moment that many consider as one of the strongest blows to justice reform, after the political interventions that accompanied the defense of Erion Veliaj.
The consequences are not only in terms of internal debate. The Albanian government is also facing increasing reservations from the European Commission in the integration process, precisely because of doubts about the real will not to interfere in justice.
And while Rama insists that he will not take back the "sword of justice," he is simultaneously supporting Fatmir Xhafaj's commission for the second time, a structure that critics see as an attempt to impose limits on SPAK - despite repeated objections from international partners.
At this point, a simple question remains:
if the judiciary is as independent as the prime minister says, what other obstacles do you think it can still impose?
