Muça: Justice and reform — the message Von der Leyen left in Tirana

Analyst Flogert Muça commented on Alba Alishani’s “Trialog” programme on RTSH24 on the main message left by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Tirana, linking it directly to the justice reform and the fight against corruption.

According to Muça, Von der Leyen’s message was clear and essential: the justice reform is a priority for the European Union, regardless of the challenges. He emphasized that focusing only on the attacks against the government, the ministers or Prime Minister Edi Rama serves the latter’s narrative, as Rama claims the system was built by them and that they themselves are now striking it.

“In macro terms, what has been left today — let us read what she left as a message and how the visit of the president may have influenced the perception of public opinion. I say that the message she left today is linked exactly to that last question, which was essential and as if made to order. It was a very beautiful question, in fact: is corruption the problem, or is the reform a success?

And the moment we base ourselves only on the attacks made against the government, against the ministers, against the directors, against Rama, this narrative mainly suits Rama, because Rama says that we built the system and we are striking it, and don’t hold me to account if a minister falls into the clutches of justice, but look at what position I take and how I distance myself, and so on.

But the essence is that that lady today, unlike the reality we present perhaps sometimes in high emotion, perhaps sometimes more truly than ever — exactly — what she said is that in a way: dear Edi, regardless of everything, what matters to us is that you have done this justice reform, we have put a lot of money here,” Muça said.

The analyst compared the situation to a student sitting a final exam: laziness or irregularity is not encouraged; on the contrary, expectations and attention rise.

“Here it is as if the student is being applauded at a moment when the exam result, at least for us, is not the right one,” he concluded, underlining that the EU is strongly supporting the reform, but expects concrete results.

Von der Leyen’s message, according to Muça, underlines that the success of the justice reform remains the main condition for Albania’s progress towards European integration.