"Rama does not govern for the citizens"/ Bozdo: He has not undertaken any support package against the crisis

2026-05-06 10:54:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Rama does not govern for the citizens"/ Bozdo: He has not undertaken

DP MP Enno Bozdo gave a statement to the media today from the Presidency of the Assembly where he spoke about the economy, an issue that according to him affects the lives of citizens.

Bozdo states that for 13 years, the government has shown that it governs only for a narrow circle of interests and beneficiaries.

The MP said that this was shown when the majority rejected three legal initiatives of the DP Parliamentary Group. According to him, these initiatives were directly aimed at easing the economic burden on citizens at a time of deep crisis of rising prices.

Among other things, he adds that this is the only government in the region and in Europe that has not undertaken any real support package against the crisis.

Bozdo's full speech:

I have called this communication to the media on a fundamental issue that directly affects the daily lives of Albanian citizens, such as the economy. Edi Rama's government, over these 13 years, has repeatedly proven that it does not govern for the citizens, but for a narrow circle of interests and beneficiaries close to it. This is no longer a perception, it is a repeated and confirmed fact.

This behavior was again displayed, in the clearest and most unacceptable way, during the last week, when the majority rejected three legal initiatives of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, initiatives that directly aimed to ease the economic burden on citizens at a time of deep crisis of rising prices. In fact, it was not a surprise at all. It is their usual model of governance.

They rejected proposals to reduce the price of oil by reducing the turnover tax and other taxes, to reduce the excise tax on oil and diesel, and to zero the gas excise tax for the “Made in Albania” manufacturing industry. All of these measures were rejected in parliamentary committees by the votes of socialist deputies.

Let me emphasize clearly: there is no surprise in this stance. But what citizens need to know is what they lost from this rejection:

• A liter of diesel today would be at least 350 old lek cheaper. In simple terms: for every 10 liters, citizens would save about 3,500 old lek, or they would get about 3 liters more fuel;

• Industrial gas for domestic production would cost zero lek per kg, down from 125 lek/kg it costs today;

• Each Albanian family would save an average of about 70 euros per month;

• Farmers would have a real opportunity to work their land, while today, with the absurd price of 2200 lek per liter, this has become practically impossible;

• The manufacturing industry, especially the export industry, would reduce costs by up to 25%, becoming more competitive in both the domestic and export markets.

This is the reality. And what makes this situation even more difficult is the fact that Albania continues to be ranked among the countries with the highest fuel prices in the world, a policy that is destroying farmers and severely affecting the household and manufacturing economy.

The rejection of these initiatives is a purely political choice. It is the decision of a government that has no will to intervene in the protection of citizens. On the contrary, Edi Rama has chosen not to take any concrete measures to deal with the price crisis, leaving Albanian families and the domestic economy at the mercy of fate and the developments of the conflict in the Middle East.

We have another negative record: this is the only government in the region and in Europe that has not undertaken any real support package against the crisis. Meanwhile, it has benefited financially from the increase in prices. Over 10 million additional euros have been collected from VAT on fuel alone, for the months of March and April.

The question is simple: where did this money go?

Instead of being returned to citizens as direct support, they are channeled into dubious corrupt contracts and agreements or luxury spending. So, while citizens are impoverished and the economy is stagnant, the government is getting richer and refusing to share this burden with the people.

However, these three draft laws will be presented for a vote in tomorrow's plenary session. Our call is clear: the majority must overcome its political interests and vote in favor of the citizens.

These are not party proposals. They are not propaganda or unachievable ideas. They are concrete measures, proven in other countries, that provide immediate and tangible results for Albanian families, farmers, and producers.

It is time to choose: the interest of the citizens or the interest of a minority. /CNA