The Albanian Parliament blocks the Justice Department's request for the arrest of Balluku

The decision of the Albanian Parliament to reject the request of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption (SPAK) to lifting of parliamentary immunity and arrest of minister and former deputy prime minister Belinda BallukuThe government majority blocked the prosecutor's initiative, a development that the opposition characterizes as political protection of the former powerful minister.

In the crucial vote, 82 MPs opposed lifting immunity, while 47 voted in favor of the motion to grant permission for her arrest. This particular arithmetic did not go unnoticed, as the ruling Socialist Party has exactly 82 seats in parliament, which reinforced opposition accusations that the decision strictly followed a party line.

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The majority argued that the legal requirements for such an extreme measure as the arrest of a sitting MP were not met, pointing out that Balluku no longer holds a government position and that the prosecution process can continue without restrictions.

The decision provoked immediate reactions from Western diplomatic missions in Tirana. embassy of Germany stressed that the effective prosecution of corruption, especially at a high political level, is a basic prerequisite for the country's European path. The same wave was also embassy of the United Kingdom, which pointed out that parliamentary immunity should not become an obstacle to accountability before the courts.

These statements provoked the reaction of albanian prime Minister Edi Rama, who defended the parliament's decision, describing it as fully justified. He argued that the parliament acted based on the Constitution and the laws, emphasizing that there were no necessary conditions for the arrest of a member of parliament without a prior judicial decision.

Responding to the diplomatic interventions, Rama stated that the government fully agrees with the principles formulated by the European embassies, but reiterated that the parliament's decision was institutionally correct. At the same time, he underlined that the government's strategic goal remains Albania's accession to the European Union by 2030..

The Albanian Prime Minister also emphasized that the judicial reform will not be overturned, the independence of judicial institutions will not be affected and support for SPAK remains stable.According to him, the fight against corruption continues, while he argued that balluku is not facing corruption charges and that the investigation into the case must proceed without political pressure.

He also ironically attacked the opposition for the demonstrations that took place outside parliament, commenting that "the molotov cocktail association of Tirana began to speak even in the name of Germany".

During the session, opposition supporters gathered outside the Parliament building, with moments of tension when a group of protesters attempted to approach the police cordon around the parliament.

The chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha announced that the demonstrations would continue and called on his supporters to a new rally in March 22 in Tirana, claiming that the Parliament's decision is an attempt to cover up the case.

The balluku Case thus evolves into new point of frontal conflict in the Albanian political scene, with the government defending the parliamentary decision and the opposition insisting that the majority intervened to prevent the case from going to court.

The case also acquires particular importance in the European context, as judicial reform is one of the key prerequisites for Albania's accession to the European Union.This specific reform process has been supported in recent years with significant political and financial assistance from the EU and Western countries, while the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) it is considered the main mechanism for tackling high-level corruption.

There have been many times in the past when the Albanian Prime Minister είχε επαινέσει δημόσια το έργο του SPAK, ιδιαίτερα σε υποθέσεις που αφορούσαν πολιτικούς του αντιπάλους, παρουσιάζοντας τη λειτουργία του ως απόδειξη της επιτυχίας της μεταρρύθμισης. Στη σημερινή συγκυρία, ωστόσο, η σύγκρουση που έχει ανοίξει με τη δικαιοσύνη και οι αιχμές προς δυτικές διπλωματικές αποστολές δημιουργούν νέα ερωτήματα για τη συνέπεια της κυβέρνησης απέναντι στις δεσμεύσεις της ευρωπαϊκής πορείας της χώρας. Για τους επικριτές της κυβέρνησης, η στάση αυτή ερμηνεύεται ως προσπάθεια πολιτικής κάλυψης της Belinda Balluku, ακόμη κι αν αυτό σημαίνει μια δύσκολη ισορροπία ανάμεσα στην εσωτερική πολιτική αντιπαράθεση και στις προσδοκίες των ευρωπαϊκών θεσμών.