Shehaj on the debate over magistrates’ salaries: Rama backed down after thinking he could control the judiciary

Agron Shehaj, chairman of the Possibility Party, has commented on the recent disputes between the government and justice institutions over judges’ salaries. According to him, Prime Minister Edi Rama changed his position and was forced to continue paying judges.

Shehaj said that Rama also lost this confrontation with the judiciary, being forced, in his view, to back down and pay magistrates’ salaries.

According to the leader of the Possibility Party, salary levels for judges and prosecutors were set by the government and the Socialist majority. He said Rama’s current claims that these salaries are too high contradict decisions previously made by him and his majority.

Shehaj said that when these salaries were set, Rama believed he had the justice system under control and that this favor toward judges and prosecutors would bring benefits to him and the majority. According to him, that expectation was not fulfilled.

He said the justice system acted independently, as it should, while some magistrates were not influenced by who was in power. According to Shehaj, they began investigations and requests for the arrest of people closest to Edi Rama.

It was precisely at this point, he said, that the confrontation between the executive and the judiciary began, culminating in Rama’s refusal to pay their salaries.

Shehaj said that this conflict will continue and that Albanian citizens should support the justice system. According to him, only in this way can a future be built in Albania for all Albanians, rather than just for a minority.