Albania’s opposition has described the European Commission’s Progress Report as the clearest reflection of their long-standing concerns about government mismanagement. Jorida Tabaku, a key figure in the Democratic Party and head of the parliamentary committee on European affairs, has accused the ruling Socialist majority of worsening institutional performance and transforming Parliament into a place where opposition rights are ignored.

Why is this important: The European Union’s ambassador to Albania, during the presentation of the Progress Report, emphasized that the country has the potential to close all negotiating chapters by the end of 2027, based on its current trajectory. However, the ambassador also urged the opposition to choose dialogue over violence, stressing that EU integration is a collective responsibility and a merit shared by all political actors when progress is recognized.

Context: Tabaku, a respected voice within the opposition and known for her stance against violence—unlike some of her Democratic colleagues who have clashed during parliamentary sessions—criticized the government for a lack of willingness to engage in constructive dialogue. She called on the Socialist majority to demonstrate good faith by implementing Constitutional Court rulings.

In response, immediately following Tabaku’s conference, the Socialist-led Council of Legislation convened to address three key Constitutional Court rulings. However, opposition members boycotted this meeting. While decisions on regulations affecting free professions and investigative commissions were postponed, Socialists expressed readiness to implement the court’s ruling on repealing specific provisions of parliamentary regulations.