Amid tensions, programme vote, composition of Albania's new government

This is Rama's fourth term at the head of the Albanian executive, after his subject, the Socialist Party won the May 11th elections.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama went to the speaker to present the programme. But tensions rose after an address was issued to Sunday, the state minister for Artificial Intelligence, was issued.

Sunday is an artificial intelligence bot. The Rama 4, government along with Diella, has 17 ministers.

This was rejected by opposition parties, prompting the session to go on vacation for 15 minutes.

The Socialist Party threatened that the programme would not be presented and there would be no debate on it, but would be put to the polls directly.

Following the resumption of the plenary session, Parliament Speaker Niko Pelesi voted the programme, which received 82 votes for.

During the electronic vote, Democratic Party deputies approached the country where the ministers are located and threw out the Parliament's regulation and a bottle of water towards Rama and the new head of the Assembly, Niko Pelesi.

This is the first time that an executive programme is not presented to MPs and there is no debate about it, but is put to the polls directly.

The session lasted only 25 minutes, although it was projected to last 25 hours and debate on the programme.

After the hearing, Rama wrote on Facebook that it must be for elected MPs to debate in the unhindered Assembly.

He said the 83 seats won by the Socialist Party in the May 11th elections are due to voters “to set an impassable border on anyone who uses hands, legs, body as argument and street noises as opposition alternative”.

Meanwhile, during the short address in the Assembly before the situation tenses, Rama said the fourth mandate coincides with the plan for Albania to become part of the European Union.

“Albania 2030 in the EU is the primary mention of this mandate. European Albania is the orientation compass of every page of our programme and the metronomer of any reform we will undertake”, Rama said.

Tirana intends to join the EU in 2030.

Albania opened the first chapter of negotiations for EU membership in October 2024. That happened after a long wait, as the country applied for membership in 2009 and had received candidate status in 2014.

The country must open and close a total of 33 chapters to join the EU. The opening and closing of each chapter requires approval of all European bloc member states. / REL