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Brussels demands justice after Parliament's vote for Belinda Balluku

2026-03-12 18:31:18Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Brussels demands justice after Parliament's vote for Belinda Balluku

The European Union has reacted to the decision of the Albanian Parliament not to lift the immunity of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who faces corruption charges, warning that respecting the rule of law is essential for Albania's EU accession process.

The Albanian parliament voted on Thursday against a request to authorize the arrest of Balluk, who is under investigation by the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime. According to prosecutors, she is suspected of interfering in infrastructure projects worth over 200 million euros.

Balluku was dismissed from her post as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy by Prime Minister Edi Rama in late February. She has denied the allegations.

In a statement to the media, a European Commission spokesperson stated: “The EU takes note of the results of today’s vote in the Albanian parliament. Commitment to the rule of law and the fight against corruption are of essential importance for the EU accession process.”

According to him, “ensuring an appropriate environment for SPAK to effectively carry out its work is essential to credibly support Albania's progress towards membership in the European Union.”

There were also reactions from several embassies in Tirana. The embassies of Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands requested that the judicial process not be hindered and stressed the importance of prosecuting corruption, even in cases involving high-ranking political figures.

In a statement, the German embassy in Tirana stressed that "effective prosecution of corruption, even in high-profile cases, is an essential prerequisite for EU membership" and added that it is expected that the judiciary can handle these cases quickly and without obstacles.

Prime Minister Rama then reacted through a post on the social network X, stating that the government fully agrees with the principles expressed by international partners and that Albania remains committed to the path towards EU membership by 2030.

“The governing majority today did exactly what any democratic parliament in Europe would do,” Rama wrote, adding that the prosecution’s requests for the arrest of an MP must follow constitutional procedures and cannot be treated “like crossing Schengen borders without checks.”

Meanwhile, former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj is also wanted by SPAK on charges of corruption and money laundering. In late 2025, the Ministry of Justice requested his extradition from Swiss authorities.

Another senior figure of the Socialist Party of Albania, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, has also been in detention since his arrest in 2025 on similar charges.

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