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The latest scandal in Albania puts Rama's legacy at risk

2025-03-01 14:55:00, Politikë CNA

Weeks before national elections, Albania's political landscape was shaken by last month's arrest of Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana.

Long considered a close ally and potential successor to the country's powerful prime minister, Edi Rama, Veliaj was caught in the crossfire of accusations of public contracts tied to associates and spending hundreds of thousands of euros on luxury goods.

The corruption investigation could end the political career of Veliaj, who has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, ahead of Albania's parliamentary vote in May.

The latest scandal in Albania puts Rama's legacy at risk

Leading the investigation is the Special Prosecutor's Office, a body backed by the US and the European Union to combat endemic corruption in the Adriatic country – and central to Albania's EU membership aspirations. SPAK, as it is known, has been pursuing its mandate to dismantle the corrupt structures and organised crime networks that have long shaped Albania's political and economic system.

Rama, who aims to make EU accession the cornerstone of his legacy, has long defended SPAK's work. But as the judicial review has turned on a close associate, his tone has changed. Although he insists his Socialist Party will not interfere, he has accused prosecutors of overstepping their bounds and acting without responsibility, dismissing Veliaj's indictment as a "400-page novel."

Given the stakes involved in Albania's standing in the West, Rama is showing no sign of moderating his attacks. In recent days, he has attacked SPAK - at one point he was seen in a now-viral video pumping his fists - and issued a warning not to direct the investigation at himself.

“This is very serious! Very serious! Very serious!” he told lawmakers at a party meeting. “They better not make the mistake of coming to ask for my phone, because they already have enough.”

The latest scandal in Albania puts Rama's legacy at risk

Rama’s Socialists have fully aligned themselves with Veliaj, calling the case an attempt to weaken the government ahead of the May 11 elections. Party officials have echoed Rama’s criticism of SPAK, arguing that the investigations disproportionately target ruling party figures while ignoring others. Opposition parties have seized on the scandal, saying it exposes corruption within the Socialist ranks.

Meanwhile, the EU has reaffirmed its support for SPAK as an anchor on Albania’s path to the 27-member bloc. “Judicial reform and the establishment of SPAK are a cornerstone of Albania’s EU membership,” the EU delegation to Albania said this week.

SPAK chief Altin Dumani dismissed claims of political motivation, saying that those acting in accordance with the constitution “have nothing to fear.” Instead, he signaled that the investigation could be expanded, noting that SPAK has jurisdiction over election crimes.

This could prompt further escalation – and more trouble for Albania in its bid to join the EU. /Bloomberg/