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"Faced with 2 major reforms"/ Balla: If debates with the opposition continue, an opinion from the Venice Commission may be requested

2025-10-21 12:25:00, Politikë CNA

"Faced with 2 major reforms"/ Balla: If debates with the opposition

The Chairman of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla, was present today at the Conference "30 Years of Partnership and Progress: Albania, the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission" held in Tirana.

In his speech, Balla said that Albania is facing two major reforms, electoral and territorial.

Balla stated that if debates with the opposition continue regarding these reforms, the opinion of the Venice Commission may be sought again.

 "This conference coincides with two important anniversaries: the 30th anniversary of Albania's membership in the Council of Europe and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Venice Commission. These two anniversaries are evidence of a path of progress and institutional building of our country, where the support of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission has been essential."

In Albania, issues of constitutional justice have often been a reason to seek the opinion of the Venice Commission, and each time we have found professional, balanced and fair solutions that have helped us move forward as a functional democracy.

Some of these cases include:

1. They expressed their opinion on the decree annulling the June 30, 2019 elections by the then President of the Republic, a case that required clarification of institutional balances;

In that case, we faced a massive boycott and a mass resignation of mandates by opposition MPs, and the cancellation of the elections by the President. The Venice Opinion clarified the standards for us and we continued the democratic processes in the Assembly and in the elections, avoiding a difficult impasse.

2. Opinions on the mandates and appointment of constitutional judges, which helped restore the functionality of the Constitutional Court and which I believe also served in the final decision-making of this Court last week, putting an end to the controversies and uncertainties over the term of office of constitutional judges.

As previously recommended by the Venice Commission, the basic constitutional standard and rule of renewing the judiciary with 3 members every 3 years prevailed.

3. Opinion on the 2020 constitutional amendments for elections and electoral list rules; This was also an important moment in the conditions of the covid pandemic. I thank the secretary general and, despite difficult times, we were in constant contact online to provide a very good solution to this case.

4. Another opinion on the extension of the mandate of vetting institutions, which has been essential for the continuation of justice reform.

Another opinion was about the implementation of the decisions of the Constitutional Court.

Here I must admit, at least in my capacity as a parliamentarian, that we "slack", in the delays we make in terms of immediately addressing the decisions of the Constitutional Court. Which is somewhat related to parliamentary autonomy, to the way the decisions of the Constitutional Court are implemented and to what Mr. Dimitrop said, that the Constitutional Court should see itself as part of the system, not above the system. And I believe that it is a valid point of view that needs to be seen and addressed. All these impasses have been resolved with the delicacy and goodwill of the Venice Commission.

I can say with all my heart that the Venice Commission has served in all cases as an arbiter of professional values ??and standards, always offering balanced approaches that have contributed to avoiding crises and resolving impasses.

Therefore, Albania attaches great importance to the Venice Commission, and this institutional aspect is also embodied in the law of the Constitutional Court, where Albania has provided for the right for this court to always turn to the Venice Commission whenever it deems it reasonable for complex constitutional issues.

This fact clearly speaks of the high trust and importance that we give to the work of the Commission as a guide, as I said, impartial, technical, with great integrity, especially in situations of institutional deadlock, but also of legal uncertainties, the reforms that await us and the need for partnership with the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission. It is true that today, as we speak, the Albanian Parliament has opened the challenge for two other reforms: the first has to do with electoral reform, and the other with territorial reform.

Both have a long-term impact: one on the representative system, the other on the organization of local government.

"I am convinced that the debates we will have with the opposition will probably lead us again to the need to seek the valuable opinion and jurisprudence, both in existing and new opinions of the Venice Commission, which, as they have proven, are always necessary to ensure that the changes we make meet the best standards and the constitutional spirit," Balla said. /CNA





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