SP Meeting in Pogradec/ Krasniqi Raises Questions About Financing and State Symbols: Balluku Continues to Be a Decision-Maker

Political scientist Afrim Krasniqi has described the meeting of the Socialist Party’s political leaders in Pogradec, organized by Prime Minister Edi Rama, as a routine party gathering.

However, he stresses that holding it takes on particular importance because of the ongoing protests in the country.

According to Krasniqi, the protesters are not asking how the Socialist Party should continue to stay in power, but for an Albania with a functioning democracy and the rule of law.

He notes that, in periods of crisis and deep disappointment, a party’s interests in preserving power rarely align with the country’s needs, while in this case this alignment is evident.

The analyst has also sought clarification about how the meeting was financed. He asks whether the meeting was held in a private hotel or a government villa and who covered the costs for the venue, services, staff, vehicles, and the engagement of the large number of guards.

If the payments were made by the Socialist Party, this should be publicly declared, while the use of government funds or structures would, according to him, constitute a legal violation.

Krasniqi has also raised questions about the presence of the state symbol of the Prime Minister’s Office on the table of a party event.

According to him, a meeting of a political party should not be accompanied by such symbols, because this creates the impression of merging the state with the party.

He considers this a particularly problematic signal on the eve of the next political elections, when the separation between state institutions and party structures should be clear.

Referring to the messages about reform, transparency, different governance, European orientation, and the fight against corruption, the analyst said that rhetoric must be accompanied by concrete actions.

In this context, he mentioned the case of former deputy prime minister Belinda Balluku, for whom SPAK sought the lifting of immunity by parliament, while the majority voted against.

Despite this, Krasniqi notes that an official accused by the justice system and sought by SPAK for the lifting of immunity continues to be a decision-maker in the executive, parliament, and party, presenting herself as part of the reformist approach.

Another issue he highlighted relates to the instruction to dismiss or move directors in the administration. Krasniqi stresses that, in a state where laws and the Constitution exist and where institutions must be separate from parties, a political force cannot decide on administrative dismissals. According to him, this practice nevertheless continues to occur in Albania.

“The prime minister has gathered his party’s political leaders in a routine meeting in Pogradec. That is his right and theirs. The meeting comes as a response to the protests. Naturally, the protests are not demanding that the SP remain in power, but that Albania become a functioning democracy and a state governed by the rule of law,” Krasniqi says.

He adds that the meeting was accompanied by statements about reform, more transparent, more European and more anti-corruption governance, but according to him some details that may have gone unnoticed by the media deserve attention.

“First, a party meeting in a private hotel or meetings in a government villa? The question is who pays for the venue, service, staff, vehicles, and the large number of guards. The SP should have declared that it financed the meeting; otherwise, funding by the government constitutes a legal violation,” he declares.

“Second, a party meeting cannot have the state symbol of the Prime Minister’s Office on the table. Here the misuse of state symbols and the merging of the state with the party is clearly visible, which constitutes a negative signal on the eve of the next political elections,” Krasniqi continues.

He stresses that any declaration against corruption only takes on meaning when accompanied by concrete anti-corruption measures.

“An official accused by the justice system and sought by SPAK for the lifting of immunity continues to be a decision-maker in the executive, parliament, and party, imposing herself as a reformist approach,” the analyst says.

“The main news from yesterday’s meeting was the instruction to dismiss or move directors from their positions in the administration. In a country where there are laws and a Constitution and where the state is separate from the party, a party can in no way decide on administrative dismissals. In Albania, yes,” he said.

In conclusion, Krasniqi criticized the way ministers are held accountable, saying that they first report to the party and then face government responsibilities.

He linked this practice to a tradition of the past, when first the Bureau would meet, then the Plenum, and finally the government and the Presidium of the Assembly.