PD welcomes the report of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee: In line with our concerns

The Democratic Party welcomes the position of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on the developments in Albania.

This position, according to the DP press office, is clearly expressed in the report of this Commission under the title "Albania 2022", which clearly reflects some of the concerns and alarm raised by the Albanian opposition about the state of democracy and the rule of law. 

According to DP, the text presented by the Portuguese socialist Isabel Santos was changed with the amendments of the deputies of the European People's Parties and were also supported by the socialist, green and liberal MEPs.

Regarding the May 14 elections, the report states that in "Albania, the freedom of political parties to appear in elections without undue interference from the state or other actors must be guaranteed" . This passage refers to the prohibition of the real PD to enter the local elections with all the political and legal attributes that belong to it. Apparently, due to deadlines, no amendments have been presented regarding the problems of these elections

The EP report expresses "regret for the violation of the Assembly's regulation and concern for the narrowing of the space for the supervisory role of the parliamentary opposition, including the refusal to set up the investigative commission".

The reference is to the case of the rejection of DP's request for a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the role of Prime Minister Rama in the McGonigal scandal.

The EP calls on the government to "urgently cancel any legal initiative for fiscal-criminal amnesty and golden passports. These schemes are a threat to the EU and to Albania and will clearly block the progress of European integration.

The European Parliament "is scandalized by the contract of the Port of Durres with a company from the United Emirates, even though this contract violates the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU, and despite the previous warnings of the Parliament and the European Commission."

The report also states that projects such as the Port of Durrës must implement public procurement according to the European SAA standards.

The EP expresses concern about the regression of freedom of expression and the media, the government's refusal to provide information, efforts to discredit journalists,

An investigation is also required for the illegal demolition of assets related to media independent of the government or critical of it, as in the case of Prestige Ressort and 24 Nea TV.

The report also expresses concern that there is no progress with the laundering of crime money, as well as with corruption at a high level of government where there are no court sentences", says the reaction of the PD.

The proponents of these amendments are MEPs Michael Gahler, David Lega, Lukas Mandl, Antonio Lopez Isturiz, Miriam Lexman, Peter van Dalen, Vladimir Bilcik, Zeljana Zovko and Arba Kokalari.