The General Prosecutor’s Office has sent the Albanian Parliament its official position on the bill establishing magistrates’ salaries.

In a letter, the institution explains that its assessment was based on the text of the bill published on the Parliament’s official website in July 2026, as well as on public discussions, since a formal draft was not officially forwarded to it for consultation.

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the bill “On some additions and amendments to Law No. 96/2016 ‘On the status of judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Albania’” does not, in principle, guarantee the full and effective implementation of Decision No. 15, dated 17/02/2026, of the Constitutional Court, or of the constitutional standards established therein.

The institution also assesses that the legislative initiative creates unjustified and disharmonious disparities among the different levels of courts and prosecution offices.

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The majority’s proposal on the financial treatment of magistrates has been described as unconstitutional by Gazment Bardhi, head of the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group.

He warned that the initiative would once again send the law to the Constitutional Court, where, he said, its fate would be the same as last time: it would be struck down.

In a statement made during a meeting of the Committee on Human Rights, Bardhi stressed that the proposal not only fails to reflect the Court’s previous decision, but is acting in complete contradiction to it.

“This initiative openly violates the Constitutional Court’s decision by doing precisely the opposite of what is required,” he said.

Referring to the spirit of the justice reform, Bardhi stressed the need to restore dignity to judges and prosecutors. He added that treating their salaries as an act of charity was unacceptable.

“We cannot treat them as charity today. At the very least, we should treat them as we treat ourselves,” he declared, drawing attention to the substantial salary increases granted to other senior officials.

He recalled that lawmakers themselves had increased their salaries by around 50%, while the salaries of the prime minister and ministers had been raised by more than 60%. Moreover, he pointed out that the latter receive a range of additional benefits, such as fuel and telephone expenses.

“There is no basis for comparison between us and magistrates,” stressed the head of the DP parliamentary group.

Bardhi went further, arguing that a judge’s salary should be higher than that of any other senior state official. He illustrated this with a direct criticism of the President of the Republic.

“A judge should earn more than both a lawmaker and a minister, and even more than the president. What does Bajram Begaj do, sitting idly in his office, that a magistrate cannot earn more”? he asked rhetorically.

Concluding his remarks, Bardhi emphasized the weight and risks involved in magistrates’ work. He recalled that these are the judges who directly confront organized crime and hand down sentences of up to life imprisonment. “For this reason, they deserve dignity, not charity,” he concluded.

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LDK MP Avdullah Hoti has announced that he will not support the proposed candidacy for President of the Republic of Kosovo.

According to Hoti, his position does not stem from any personal reason, but from political and institutional convictions. He stressed that the President should be a figure who unites citizens, builds consensus beyond party lines and protects the general interest.

Hoti said that the candidacy in question does not align with the principles and interests of the Democratic League of Kosovo and its electorate. For this reason, he called on the LDK to maintain a clear, independent and responsible position.

“We cannot support a candidacy merely for the sake of a political agreement,” Hoti wrote.

He also published his full statement:

I do not support this candidacy for President of the Republic of Kosovo, not for personal reasons, but because of a political and institutional principle.

The President of the Republic should be a unifying figure, capable of building consensus beyond party interests and representing the general interest of citizens. In my assessment, this candidacy does not meet that criterion.

Furthermore, this candidacy does not reflect the political and principled interests of the Democratic League of Kosovo and its electorate. On the contrary, the way this solution has been imposed creates the impression that the LDK has blocked other political candidacies merely to pave the way for a candidacy that is, in essence, political as well.

The LDK must maintain a clear, independent and responsible position. We cannot support a candidacy merely for the sake of a political agreement if it does not represent the principles, interests and expectations of the LDK electorate.

This is not a matter of individuals, but of principles, political identity and the responsibility we have toward our voters.

May God bless the Democratic League of Kosovo!

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Ina Zhupa, a Democratic Party MP and political leader for the Saranda district, has opposed the Saranda Municipal Council’s decision to use the rear section of the courtyard at “Hasan Tahsini” High School as a public parking lot. She called the decision a scandal and a threat to students’ safety.

Zhupa said that for years, the community, teachers and students have been calling for the area to be turned into a sports and recreational space.

According to her, European standards aim to expand green spaces and reduce vehicle traffic near educational institutions.

While acknowledging that Saranda needs public parking lots, the MP called on the municipality to abandon the project. She stressed that the parking problem should not be solved at the expense of school grounds and children’s safety.

Ina Zhupa’s full response:

According to Zhupa, the Saranda Municipality’s scandal lies in its plan to turn the courtyard of “Hasan Tahsini” High School into a public parking lot.

She said that the community, teachers and students have long called for the space at the rear of the “Hasan Tahsini” High School courtyard to be used for sports and recreational facilities serving young people. According to her, such an initiative would constitute an investment in the education, health and well-being of the younger generation. However, after the property was transferred to the Saranda Municipality, the Socialists on the Saranda Municipal Council voted to repurpose the courtyard for vehicle parking.

Zhupa emphasized that school planning criteria call for the opposite: fewer vehicles near educational buildings and more safe, green and sports areas for students. According to her, municipalities that act responsibly establish protected perimeters around schools, restrict vehicle traffic and fund spaces that promote physical activity and social interaction instead of increasing traffic.

According to the MP, a public parking lot near the high school would lead to more vehicles entering and leaving, greater risks to students, more noise and air pollution, and less dignified conditions for an educational institution. She stressed that the school courtyard cannot be treated as spare land to compensate for the Saranda Municipality’s lack of vision.

Zhupa said that Saranda undoubtedly needs public parking lots and that this demand has been raised repeatedly, as the shortage is the result of inadequate urban planning. However, according to her, parking lots should be built in areas specifically designated for that purpose and on the basis of a serious urban development plan. She added that when vision is lacking, schools are the ones sacrificed.

According to the MP, a European city cannot be built by giving up school spaces. On the contrary, the European cities that Saranda claims it wants to resemble invest in providing schools with more greenery, sports facilities and security.

In conclusion, Zhupa called for the cancellation of the project, which she described as shameful, and for an end to the undermining of safety and standards for the high school’s students.

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