Why doesn't Edi Rama fundamentally understand the EU's rule of law?

By Vincent Yusui van Gerven Oei, The Albanian Mechanism

During a press conference in Brussels on 14 July 2026, together with EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, following the ninth Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference, Prime Minister Edi Rama made several comments regarding his ideas on the EU legal framework, also known as the acquis communautaire , which should raise alarm bells in EU capitals and in Albania.

Referring to the “strategic” development project in Zvërnec, which served as the initial spark of massive popular protests across the country, which have now been going on for more than forty days, he said:

“You will understand that there is nothing to worry about. The project is still a work in progress. The project is nowhere to be seen, because it is not finished. An environmental impact assessment is underway. Everything has been done according to the rules since day one. Names do not matter. Mentioning names is not something that helps us get to the truth.

And when I say 'according to the rules', there is only one book that matters to us, which is the book of membership in the European Union and the book of European standards. So, just the idea that Albania and the Albanian government would move forward with something that is not in full accordance with the holy book of religious people and atheists in Albania, which are the standards and principles of the European Union, is absurd.

So, there is nothing to worry about. Zero. We will make a project that will be an object of pride for Albania and for Europe, and this is my ambition. Albania must realize it for itself and for Europe. And of course, during this process we will be, as we have been so far, very rigorous, demanding only the highest standards, only something that will make everyone proud to have this thing in the middle of Europe. Otherwise, it will not happen.”

This statement contains several inaccuracies.

First, the project is undoubtedly “visible” through the massive environmental damage already caused in Zvërnec, as witnessed and documented by more than seventy environmental organizations, and which has raised concerns even within the European Parliament. The project is also part of the propaganda publication “The Albanian Files” , which has become a key document in highlighting the deep connections between real estate oligarchs, drug trafficking, international architects and the prime minister.

Then comes the issue of “naming names,” such as the evidence of Jared Kushner’s involvement in the development of Zvërnec or the involvement of architect Marco Casamonti and oligarch Shefqet Kastrati in the project’s feasibility study. Naming names, in fact, is essential to determining the truth, as it allows us to trace institutional and personal responsibility. Naming names is, in fact, essential for justice.

Second, and of much greater concern, is Rama’s reference to a “holy book” of “European Union standards and principles.” First of all, such a “holy book” does not exist. There is a codified EU accession procedure, led by the European Commission, and there is the EU acquis communautaire , a legal framework with which Albania is expected to harmonize its legal framework during the accession process.

Neither the accession process nor the acquis are in any way “sacred” in the sense of being unchangeable, inviolable, or immune to criticism. In fact, the history of EU enlargement shows the opposite.

However, by declaring the EU rule of law framework as “sacred,” Rama does two things:

It weakens the role of the Albanian people and the Albanian Parliament.

This is a common strategy that Rama has used for more than a decade, especially during the implementation of justice reform legislation. Through claims that “the EU wants this or that,” he has repeatedly bypassed proper parliamentary discussions on key legal provisions, which has significantly weakened the rule of law in Albania and parliamentary oversight.

It allows legal loopholes with the argument "the EU doesn't ask us to."

If the holy book tells you something is not forbidden, then you can do it. This was most recently made clear in the response of the Minister of the Environment, Sofjan Jaupaj, who “implied” to members of the European Parliament that the works at Zvërnec would continue until Albania was forced to comply with EU standards.

Albanian ministers must not only respect EU standards; they must also listen to their citizens, and they must do so more than once every four years.

Finally, by describing a set of secular legal texts as a “holy book of religious people and atheists in Albania,” the prime minister insults both religious people of every faith, who already have their own holy books, and atheists, who reject the existence of any holy book.

If there is anything his statement shows, it is the obvious ideological continuity between the communist dictatorship and the political class that currently governs.