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Reuters: Corruption allegations against Belinda Balluku shake up "Rama" government. The path to the EU is questioned

2026-02-19 10:14:08Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Reuters: Corruption allegations against Belinda Balluku shake up
Photo published by Reuters

The prestigious international agency Reuters has devoted an extensive analysis to the political situation in Albania, focusing on the corruption allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and the impact this issue may have on the country's ambition to join the European Union.

Reuters writing

As protesters threw Molotov cocktails at Albania's government building in central Tirana last week, and police responded with tear gas and water cannon, a chant could be heard: "Rama out! This corrupt government must resign!"

Tensions have increased since the Special Prosecution Office, known as SPAK, filed charges in December against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, on suspicion of interference in the awarding of two tenders in 2021 worth more than 200 million euros.

Balluku, a rising figure whom Rama seems to see as a possible successor, denies wrongdoing, while receiving the Prime Minister's public support.

Corruption allegations threaten Albania's path to the EU

The ongoing protests and the fact that the crisis involves one of his closest allies pose a significant challenge for Rama, who has governed the Balkan country since 2013, easily won elections last year for a fourth term and has a good relationship with leaders from Brussels to Washington.

This could also complicate his plan to join the EU by 2030.

"Albania must understand that to become a member of the EU, respecting the rule of law is a prerequisite," said Andi Hoxhaj, a Balkans expert at King's College London. 

When asked by Reuters, Rama's spokeswoman said: "Albania deserves to join (the EU) for many reasons and fighting corruption is undoubtedly one of them," said Manjola Hasa.

Albania was isolated from the world for nearly 50 years under a communist regime that fell in the early 1990s. As in many parts of Eastern Europe, the end of communism brought about a long period of corruption.

However, judicial reforms in 2016, the formation of SPAK in 2019, and strong economic growth strengthened its argument for EU membership.

Negotiations with the EU began in 2022 and on November 17 last year, Albania opened the final round of chapters as one of the key Balkan countries in the EU's enlargement project.

Three days later, a SPAK press release announced the lawsuit against Balluk.

Tunnel and Ring Road

The charges focus on two 2021 tenders, one for the construction of a tunnel and another for a segment of the Tirana ring road. Balluku, as infrastructure minister, is accused of directing the tenders to favor specific companies.

The indictment, seen by Reuters, also contains several messages between Balluk and colleagues, including the director of the Albanian Road Authority, who is also under indictment.

In a message on September 10, 2021, she appears to ask her director to meet with an official at NOVA Construction 2012.

Four days after the meeting, NOVA and two other companies formed a consortium, which subsequently won the ring contract.

SPAK said Balluku had "predestined the winner" and "created unfair advantages and privileges."

Reuters has not been able to determine whether the director met with NOVA. The company did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Balluk's lawyer.

Balluku, who was suspended by the Anti-Corruption Court in November, said at the time that she would not comment on the case, or on what she described as "half-truths and lies."

Rama accuses prosecutors

Meanwhile, SPAK's relations with Rama have never been so strained.

SPAK has demanded that Balluk's immunity be lifted, but Rama opposes this and accuses SPAK of exceeding its powers. On Monday, he told lawmakers that he had rejected Balluk's request to resign three times.

"Resignation cannot occur under pressure from a power that has gone beyond its territory," he said. 

That same day, Rama announced that he planned to change the law to protect ministers from suspension while they are under criminal investigation, a move that the opposition said was intended to protect him and his allies.

The EU is watching.

"Rhetoric that sows public distrust in the judiciary and in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judicial systems and prosecutions is counterproductive," the EU office in Tirana said in a statement to Reuters.

"The effective fight against corruption is of great importance for Albania's progress towards EU membership."/ Adaptation in Albanian  VoxNews


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