Lifting of Berisha's "non grata"/ Balla: I do not comment on unofficial information

2026-06-11 12:01:00, Politikë CNA

Lifting of Berisha's "non grata"/ Balla: I do not comment on

The head of the Socialist parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, ironized the opposition's statements, saying that he is trying to present the removal of the "non grata" status by the US against Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha as a success of the protest, for which he said there is still no official confirmation from American institutions.

The head of the socialist parliamentary group said he could not comment on information based on unofficial sources, emphasizing that such a matter can only be considered closed after an official announcement from the relevant American institutions.

Balla also accused the opposition of trying to appropriate the protest against the project in Zvërnec and change its character. At the end of his speech, he emphasized that the majority remains focused on governance and the country's European integration process.

"This is what happens when you don't listen to the vice president of the group. Listen! How was that? I mean, are we being told here today that the protest has achieved its first success and has been removed from non grata? That's what you said. You even managed to, even, even sir, sir, you changed, changed the slogan because the protesters have given you the right to change the slogan. You even say that the protesters tonight will no longer call Berisha in prison, but Berisha in Washington. Come on, come on, you've become, you've become like a broken phone. Maybe the audio, the audio of some colleague's phone was not good.

You will listen, listen Yes, I'm sorry, I appreciate what I'm saying. 7031 C, on which Sali Berisha has been declared non grata, in my opinion it is a little difficult to remove. However, I will comment on this as soon as, as soon as there is an official announcement from the United States of America, either from the State Department or from the American embassy, ??brothers. I do not comment, I do not comment on telephone conversations, because it is not correct, it is not institutional.

But the fact that you come here and sell such a thing as a success of the protest, I think, not because you said it yourself, you said it yourself that you said protest, tonight Berisha will call a protest in Washington. You are in vain, you are in vain trying to steal the protest. Not Sali Lusha, you should lead the protest, not all of you should go to the protest.

"We have a mandate to govern the country, we have a mandate to conclude the agreement for Albania's membership in the European Union. We have defeated you, but we will defeat you more deeply in 2029," Balla said. /CNA