SPAK investigations, Rama: Calm and determined to continue the battle against impunity

In an interview for Voice of America, the prime minister makes a balance of the country's major developments, since progress in European integration, to the economy, the debate on the Venice Commission's opinion on the case of former Prime Minister Olta Jaka's mandate and expectations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Voice of America: Mr. Prime Minister, first of all, thank you for this interview at the end of the year with the Voice of America. I would like to start with an important event for Albania this year, its progress in integration towards the European Union. Within two months, Albania managed to open two sets of chapters. Your ambition, however, is to close negotiations by 2027. How realistic is this, considering that our neighbors have spent years and yet are away?

Prime Minister Rama: This is not my ambition now, but it is the joint strategic plan written and agreed together with the European Commission. It's a concrete plan, with concrete steps, concrete dates, and it's very ambitious, but we're committed to doing it point by point and, as far as we're concerned, the tasks for closing the negotiations have been carried out within the year, which we've defined.

Voice of America: Is the Albanian administration prepared to cope with this process? Because I'm referring here to the last European Commission report, and let me quote that the government, for example, “continued to adopt policies and laws, raising concerns about respecting EU standards”, or that the “a good part of the European Commission's recommendations had either been partially implemented, or had not been implemented at all”.

Prime Minister Rama: These have nothing to do with the question or with the content of the question of the administration, because how prepared our administration is, of course, it doesn't seem, if you follow the news rivers, where half the truths that are even the greatest lies, but the lies are also the dominant material. But this is evident from the facts and the most significant fact of our administration's preparation is the fact that our administration faced not only successfully but also under the European Commission's surprised eyes the entire negotiation preparation process, which is an extremely difficult process.

On the other hand, our administration judges prestigious institutions, which function as institutions of the European Union, where I have in mind the IGMA, which names our administration, if I'm not mistaken, in 4 out of 5 areas of administration capacity research, as best in the region.

Voice of America: Mr. Prime Minister, corruption remains a widely debated topic over the years. You have often declared a series of measures, interventions, reforms that were taken, however, in international estimates, even in the recent European Commission report continues to be considered as a serious concern, even said that preventative “efforts have had a limited impact”.

Prime Minister Rama: Corruption was a very controversial topic for nearly two years in the U.S. elections and it was not a controversial topic with one direction, but it was a controversial topic with both directions, which means that in this debate on corruption there are many; there is, of course, truth, that in the case of Albania we cannot deny, there are many attics that are attacts in the political and media arenas, there are many tests, which rely on many speculations, but to return and close: corruption in Albania is never so great a problem that I deserve it in all types of French and platforms, but to be sure that we are in the process of modernisation of public service, and that we are doing so much of real reform, and that it's going to use it's in order that we're doing it's doing it with the process and that's going to do it's all sorts of justice, and that's going to do it's going to do it's going to be a real.

Voice of America: Has a small number of former officials, senior officials, your representatives, commanders and former mayors and recently even deputies, who are under investigation by the SPAK, at least for abuse of office or corruption?

Prime Minister Rama: That question has been asked since The SPAK has begun to act and always makes me wonder, because it could be done to me insistently, if I were a person who was exposed to products or the results of reform made by others. But I'm not a person who was exposed to gafil, and justice reform was me at the helm and the Socialist Party all in support of this reform. So, of course, I don't like the human and personal aspect of people I know with who I've worked with, who I've worked with, who I've worked with, from farther or closer, but when it comes to the task I have, when it comes to the mission that I lead, when it comes to the fact that this is a painful process, through which Albania will finally become a member of the state, that it never became, and, thanks to which in Albania non-repronition is not a myth, but it's a collapsed monument, and for the first time in the history of Albania, that's proclaimed by 1912, that's connected to political power, in the majority ranks that's government, that's then, that's, that's, and that's, in all of course, and that's where I am, and I'm sure, and I'm sure that'm sure that's going to be, and I'm not gonna be, and I'm not gonna have to say, and that'm gonna have to say, and that'm gonna have to say, and that'm gonna be the fight for

Voice of America: The question of concern, this is related, not to the fact that you are surprised by this, but can I ask you about Mr. Veliaj's recent investigation case? Does this affect your Party's image?

Prime Minister Rama: I don't comment on individual cases, I never did, except when there was a final court decision, as was the case with a genocide slanderer. But I can only say that, the fact that anyone is investigative, does not make anyone guilty, and on the other hand, trials are not conducted in the media, but trials are made in legal and constitutional processes.

Voice of America: It's important names of politics and public life. So the obligation is to get an opinion from you.

Prime Minister Rama: My opinion is known. He's known internationally. In the face of justice and in the face of law and in the face of the right of justice institutions to do their job, it is not the names they appoint for whom they do or for whom they do the work, but it is the facts and are the freedoms and rights of all, which must be exercised and implemented, beginning with freedom and right to do their duty.

Voice of America: One more question about this chapter. Is it a serious fact that your former MP, Ergis Cyrbja, according to the investigation so far, turns out to be catalyzing on the top of the parliamentary lists with the support of organised crime?

Prime Minister Rama: First, again ask me a question that he has answered, received it, and here it is futile to ask for another answer. So these are completely irrelevant about my duties and my functions. I just answer for my work, for my duty. My job is not to do jobs of another independent power.

Voice of America: Mr Rama, stopping in the economy; even third quarter of this year's data showed a steady increase in significant economic levels. But what stands out is that this growth is mainly relying on construction and tourism. Is this economic model that Albania will continue to follow that, whatever it is, it is about two sectors that are vulnerable?

Prime Minister Rama: First, Albania's economic growth sources are much more than that. Second, this is a stage of development, when construction has an important weight. And third, I don't think that, since construction has an important weight, we should consider this a disaster. I think that's a great deal at this stage of development.

I don't think we should mourn the fact that we have the highest-growing airport in Europe, confirmed by international institutions. A much higher growth than the second country's growth. Tirana Airport today is numberless with relative increases, larger than Belgrade Airport, which was historically the chief centre of the region, while our Rinas was a dump where passengers were counted as chickens in the morning, when they were out of the barn, and at dinner, when they entered the hall.

Voice of America: In the economy, another clue, which emerged in the third quarter results, is the declining agriculture sector for three quarters in a row. One sector, which has an important weight in the production of Bruto's Interior, somewhere at 18%, if not mistaken, which offers employment or self-employment for a very high number of Albanians. How do you explain this?

Prime Minister Rama: It's not a fall without a return. It is a temporary moment, predicted by us and as a result of blocking a series of investments on the part of the EU programme. But, in the meantime we've taken measures and you'll see that, next year and years, because of these measures and because of some alternative funding, we'll have an increase, which will be greater than the time of the greater growth of these years in agriculture.

Voice of America: In the last norm act, you've projected some 14m euros. Do you think that's enough?

Prime Minister Rama: It doesn't matter, it's just paying off obligations to farmers and it's not in systemic measures that I talked about, and we've already thought about it and we're going to start implementing, starting early next year.

Voice of America: Remaining in budget data. We're in the second half of December with a very high saficy, about a billion euros. How is it that executive institutions cannot afford to spend the money available?

Prime Minister Rama: We, in fact, will not remain virtually with any unexplored fund at the end of the year, while there are many reasons, which is not the place to discuss, why implementation of projects has a relatively lower performance than what would be desirable. This also relates to the fact that procurement processes require their time, complaining processes have their time, and so on. But I also believe that we have clear measures to correct the way the funds are used and extend in time, then according them, regardless of the protracted procedures, which are not in our hands, that I said there are many complaints, for example, or reverse procedures, which speak of a considerable strengthening of administration in terms of rule of law, which confirms the European Commission through SIGMA, that it lists Albania first and different from the second country in terms of public procurement: and all of these are, like saying, internal tension, and that develops a growing body and that grows.

Voice of America: Mr. Rama, before I ask some questions about the upcoming elections, I would like to take a moment to a parliamentary development. There has been a debate, which has lasted for more than two years, on the issue of MP Olta Xaka's mandate. Your majority supported and argued the idea that MPs cannot be forced to vote in a certain way, thus rejecting the Constitutional Court's ruling. However, the Venice Commission in its opinion, although it recognises this right of MPs, which they may not be forced for the way they should vote, confirms that “Gjykata had handed down two verdicts, and here I am quoting the opinion ão and effective implementation of these decisions cannot be conditioned by the vote or parliamentary majority”. Why do the representatives of your majority, Mr. Rama, continue to protect the the thesis that the Venice Commission gave you the right?

Prime Minister Rama: Because representatives of our parliamentary majority read Albanian very well. The Commission's decision is no longer Albanian. Now, if we're going to go into legal nature toys, then we know very well that two different lawyers, because of different positions, can do two different interpretations. But the Venice Commission's decision is clear: it would not have to give birth to need, because it does not exist, it is outside the most fundamental logic of the functioning of a democratic state, where all three powers are independent of one another, legislature, judiciary and executive, that a court, even the Constitutional one, impose on MPs how they should raise their hand. This doesn't happen.

Voice of America: But what's left to be understood by opinion is that it shouldn't be voted at all. He must pass directly to the Court.

Prime Minister Rama: This is another excessive interpretation, because the Venice Commission's opinion is clear as sunlight: Parliament is not imposed, and if anything is transferred to parliament, parliament will be decided there, so no one else decides.

Voice of America: Mr Rama, the next election is on the way. What will be the Socialist Party's offer, which already requires a fourth term because you don't measure to others, but you have to measure to yourself?

Prime Minister Rama: I believe that if there is an offer that needs very little explanation while being supported by many facts, it is the Socialist Party's offer. For this reason, the Socialist Party will win in May of next year and will have the deepest victory of all these races that we have won, one after another, after another, after another, because we are a political force, which is incompatible in every respect, and we cannot.

Voice of America: So, Mr. Rama, what is the reason that you have practically warned, that in the safe part of the lists will come mostly new names, so not those who have more than one mandate, so that more than half of your deputies are new names, not the actual composition of MPs?

Prime Minister Rama: This is an issue we will consider carefully along the way. What I want to replay is that the reason why we can't be able is because we wake up first and sleep last, and I wake up first from the first, and sleep the last from the last, so until someone else, some others, will wake up early and sleep later and on their day of work will do work and not talk, the Socialist Party will do what they say and say what they do, and Albanians will support what they do and what they say. And in terms of the team, this gives us the opportunity to have a new team better than what we have today, because in the meantime, as you said, we measure up to ourselves, we don't measure up with our opponents, because to be measured with opposers, we have to stop, we have to turn our heads, we have to put our hands on our eyes, we have to see where they are, and then we have to start measuring up, which we don't have to do. But on the other hand, we have a lot to improve and I've said over time that, the opposition of ourselves, we know how to do it much better than those who make the opposition out of themselves. This looks like rhetoric, but it's not rhetoric. We do a lot of tests, we do a lot of internal discussions, we do a lot of opinion polls, we hear a lot of people on all the streets and we're very aware that we're not the best, we're not as good as I would like to be, but better than we...