Balla: Justice reform ended political immunity, the challenge now is consolidation

The head of the EU–Albania Stabilisation and Association Committee, Taulant Balla, described justice reform as one of the most significant proofs of Albania’s progress toward the European Union. Speaking at the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on EU enlargement and Albania’s membership, he said the constitutional changes and the institutions created by the reform have given the justice system the ability to investigate, prosecute and try even high-level officials.

According to Balla, Albania’s challenge before the reform was not only corruption, but also the lack of independent and strong institutions to fight it. He said the previous system lacked the necessary capacity to act when suspicions involved individuals with political or public power.

He assessed that the judiciary now has capacities it had long lacked, including the ability to respond to violations and to correct problems within the system.

The head of the EU–Albania Stabilisation and Association Committee said support for independent justice institutions and specialized anti-corruption structures must be unwavering, regardless of political cost or the power level of the persons involved.

At the same time, he stressed that the independence of justice must be exercised within the limits of the Constitution and with respect for human rights. According to him, the presumption of innocence, due process, the secrecy of investigations and human dignity must remain at the center of the institutions’ activity.

“We are building a system where no one is above the law and no one is outside the protection of the law,” he said.

Balla said Albania aims to conclude membership negotiations by Christmas of next year, a goal he described as ambitious. He asked for the support of EU countries’ parliaments for the timely ratification of the accession treaty and called for the issue not to be left at the bottom of parliamentary agendas.

In his full address, Balla also cited figures showing Albania’s transformation: Tirana Airport handled only 1.75 million passengers a year in 2013, while August 2026 alone saw 1.8 million, and the whole of 2026 is projected to exceed 13.3 million passengers. He also cited a July poll by the International Republican Institute, published by Euronews, according to which 96 percent of Albanians would vote in favor of joining the EU if a referendum were held now.