Rama reacts again to the deadlock over judges’ salaries: You will bare your teeth to multiply your pay, threaten the finance minister and Treasury directors

Prime Minister Edi Rama has again reacted to the confrontation over the salaries of judges and prosecutors, criticizing the way the implementation of the decision on salaries was sought.

Rama said the conflict began after a decision taken “in the middle of summer,” through which the state Treasury was asked to execute the payments without Parliament’s approval.

The prime minister also argued that communication and dialogue must take place before a conflict is escalated.

“How is it possible that the first thing they did was to venture to take a decision in the middle of summer and issue an order that is the source of this absurd conflict, an order saying that these are the salaries and that the state Treasury should open the door for them to collect their pay? Let us say they are right; in my view, they are not, but let us say they are. Is this how one seeks justice, through force and arbitrariness, unilaterally, without exhausting any of the other steps? Where are we here? What are we? What is Albania, what are these branches of power? Are they separate republics of a federation born out of ethnic and religious wars? How can the first step not be taken, a contact sought, and people sit down together?” the prime minister said.

He also criticized the lawsuit against the finance minister, stressing that disagreements between institutions must be handled in a civilized manner.

“Why, what are you, the party of hammers? What do you have those hammers for, to come out and threaten Albania’s constitutional and political authorities, to threaten the finance minister and the Treasury directors? What are they, warehouse guards with no one in charge? How is it possible that there is not a moment to take a breath and consider the steps rationally? We may never agree, but we have an obligation to address our disagreements in a civilized manner. Disagreement between political parties has been handled in an uncivilized way for long enough. Now another political party has been added that wants to bare its teeth and snarl across Albania’s media in order to get money, multiply its own salaries compared with all the others, put them above the levels in the countries of the region, and bring them up to EU levels, just like that. Come on, there is money in the Treasury, let us take our money. Where are we here? How is this supposed to work?!” Rama said.

In conclusion, the prime minister said: “I believe this is an opportunity to draw some lessons. We will respect the decision of the Constitutional Court and, in our view, follow the appropriate path to respond to this request as well. But no one should issue threats or take hostage the other independent branches of power, such as the executive and the legislature.”