Parliament approved after midnight, with 84 votes in favor, 24 against and 1 abstention, the Socialist Party bill on magistrates’ salaries, which provides for an increase of around 8,500 lekë in the reference salary.

Prime Minister Edi Rama was also present at the session, while Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha was absent.

The bill was opposed by the justice institutions and the opposition, which stressed that it does not comply with the Constitutional Court’s decision.

The opposition called it a constitutional coup, while at the start of yesterday’s plenary session, it demanded that it also be removed from the agenda and not put to a vote.

The formula approved with the Socialist lawmakers’ votes does not meet the magistrates’ demand for an increase of around 80,000 lekë, which was approved by the High Council of Justice and the High Prosecutorial Council.

The government has also calculated 1.5 billion lekë in arrears dating back to April 2023, which will be paid in installments over two years.

The deadlock over salaries in the justice system peaked after Parliament failed to approve the new salary formula by July 31, as requested by the Constitutional Court.

After the deadline passed, the High Council of Justice and the High Prosecutorial Council decided that, starting August 1, the reference salary would be calculated on the basis of 222,425 lekë, plus an additional 14,000 lekë for qualifications.

The Ministry of Finance did not process the payrolls based on this calculation, arguing that determining salaries is the competence of Parliament.

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