Erion Veliaj heads to Constitutional Court as Venice Commission warns against overreach

The Constitutional Court will hold a hearing tomorrow on the case of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, just days after the Venice Commission issued a critical opinion warning that removing elected local officials without a final court conviction risks violating local autonomy and democratic rights.

Why is this important: Erion Veliaj’s legal team is expected to use the Venice Commission’s findings to argue that the government’s decision to dismiss him violates fundamental democratic principles. The Commission states clearly: suspension or removal of elected officials is an extraordinary measure — not to be used unless serious misconduct is proven. This case could set a precedent for how local autonomy is protected in Albania.

Context: The Venice Commission report, approved just six days ago, came at the request of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. It emphasizes that dismissing local leaders due to detention or preventive measures — without a conviction — undermines the core of local self-government.

“The dismissal of an elected representative is an extraordinary measure that should only be applied in cases of serious failure,” the report says.

Veliaj, who is under investigation in connection with a high-profile corruption case, remains in pre-trial detention. His defense, led by lawyer Sokol Daci, said the Venice opinion “aligns 100% with our position” and called tomorrow’s ruling “vital for the future of local autonomy.”

Reactions: The report cites the European Court of Human Rights, warning that extended pre-trial detention can violate freedom of expression and suppress political participation.

It stresses that when mayors are detained without conviction, “voters lose their ability to hold their leaders accountable through democratic means,” and warns against replacing them with unelected officials.

Daci said the Venice Commission’s position confirms that a state cannot override voters’ will based on unproven allegations.

What else: The Venice report compares practices across Council of Europe states and finds that most only allow dismissal of mayors after a final court ruling. The opinion, though initially aimed at opposition mayors in Turkey, is now central to Veliaj’s defense in Albania — where it could reshape the boundaries of central government power over local officials.