"Invaluable contribution to Albania"/ Rama: Venice Mission and Albanian democracy, "maternity companions"

2025-10-20 14:41:00, Politikë CNA

"Invaluable contribution to Albania"/ Rama: Venice Mission and

Prime Minister Edi Rama was present at the conference "30 years of partnership and progress: Albania, the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission".

In his speech, the Prime Minister praised the role of the Venice Commission in the history of Albanian democracy. Rama stated that the Venice Commission has made an invaluable contribution in two key moments for Albania, the first being the Constitution of the Albanian democratic state and the second moment being the contribution to the reform of the judiciary.

Focusing on the vetting process, the Prime Minister stated that without the Venice Commission, it would be impossible for Albania to undertake such a process, as there was opposition in international circles.

Albania's partnership with the Venice Commission, for Rama, is irreplaceable and will continue.

In his speech, the Prime Minister said that today marks 30 years since Albania's membership in the Council of Europe.

" Symbolically, it can be said that the Venice mission and Albanian democracy are maternity companions. They were born at the same time, in 1990. Albanian democracy as a long-awaited dream that finally saw its path opened. The history of democratic development in Albania is closely linked to the influence of the Venice Commission, which in a country like Albania has continuously needed Venice's assistance. Today, the Venice Commission, among other things, has in its balance sheet the invaluable contribution to the first Constitution of the Albanian democratic state, that of '98. It has in its balance sheet a series of interventions when the opinion of Venice has played a decisive role. There are two key contributions in the history of Albanian democracy, the contributions to the Electoral Code and on the other hand the historic contribution to the most difficult reform that Albania has made, that in justice. The Commission has been an inseparable companion, a prudent narrator and an authority that has helped us orient ourselves throughout. Without Without his contribution, it would have been impossible for Albania to undertake the vetting process, key to justice reform. A process that, until the moment of the Venice Commission's opinion, had attracted considerable opposition in international circles.

Today is not only the 35th anniversary of the Venice Commission that we are celebrating in Albania. There is also another anniversary that coincides, it is the 30th anniversary of Albania's membership in the Council of Europe.

If we were to remove the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission from the panorama of the development of these 30 years for a moment, we would understand the depth of the importance of these two anniversaries for Albanian democracy.

"The Venice Commission is an irreplaceable and silent partner of Albania, which will continue to be a point of reference for understanding what we should do better, in moments of dilemmas in reforms and changes ," said Rama.

In his speech, Rama expressed special gratitude to the representative of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio, whom he said had extraordinary patience with Albanians.

" Thank you to Gianni Buquicchio for the extraordinary patience he has had and it shows how much patience is needed when dealing with us Albanians ," said Rama./ CNA