Flash News

Man arrested after setting fire to aunt's apartment

Tirana/ 59-year-old man falls from the second floor of his apartment

Edi Rama's summer Delirium

Wanted by Italy, drug trafficker arrested in Durrës (NAME)

European Parliament adopts report on Albania

DITARI POLITIK

German MEP: Elections in Albania were unequal! There was abuse by the current government

Politiko 2025-07-09 10:35:11

German MEP: Elections in Albania were unequal! There was abuse by the current

German MEP Michael Gahler recently commented on the May 11 parliamentary elections in Albania.

During his speech in the European Parliament, Gahler said that the elections were uneven.

He said that although technically the elections went well, the lack of a level playing field and the use of state resources for electoral purposes are clear indicators of abuse of power.

According to him, the elections were accompanied by accusations of money laundering and influence by criminal groups in the economy. At the end of his speech, he emphasized that these structures must be dismantled before Albania can join the European Union.

Gahler: I was in Albania during the last elections. Technically they went well, but in fact we as observers and the OSCE, came to the conclusion that there was not a level playing field, because there was abuse of power by the current government, meaning, for example, they donated a sum of 100 euros to pensioners, just before the elections, or that traffic fines, for car fines, were canceled two days before the elections.

These are issues that should not be happening and that will need to be addressed, including the recommendations that have not yet been implemented. And really, I have to say, the stories that you hear, in addition to election observation, about structures that are connected to money laundering, this is a fact. There are 30,000 apartments that are sitting there, empty, because they were built with laundered money, and the people who are looking for housing, they can't afford them.

There are these drug trafficking schemes, and we need to see, and I am convinced, that we will manage this, so that these structures do not benefit from entering the European Union. They need to be destroyed before this country enters the EU. Thank you very much.

Latest news