VLEN concentrates names for the new Government in Tetovo, pending submission on Tuesday

The names for the new government lineup are expected to be submitted to the Government on Tuesday. According to internal information emerging from meetings of the VLEN presidency, the vast majority of candidates for ministerial posts are from Tetovo, raising questions about the regional balance of representation within the coalition.

Sources say Sedat Sulejmani is expected to take over the Ministry of Culture, Jeton Shazivari to be proposed as Minister of Justice, and Agon Ferrati as Minister of Interethnic Relations. All three come from Tetovo.

From the current ministerial lineup, Besar Durmishi will remain in the post of Minister of Economy and Labor. He is also from Tetovo, further strengthening the weight of this city in VLEN’s ministerial team.

Also set to remain in the government cabinet are Muhamed Hoxha from Saraj, in the role of Minister of Ecology, as well as Bekim Sali from Chair, who will continue as Minister for European Integration and at the same time as First Deputy Prime Minister.

The reshuffle is also expected to include moves at the deputy minister level, where some functions may be removed or reorganized. According to sources, if this scheme remains unchanged, Electoral District 5 will be left without any representative in Government, while districts 1 and 2 will also have noticeably less representation than expected.

If the names currently circulating are approved at Tuesday’s session, the new composition of the Government is expected to spark debate over territorial representation in VLEN, amid criticism that other Albanian cities and regions have been overshadowed by the dominance of officials coming from Tetovo.