Albanian Parliament concludes final session ahead of post-election shake-up
Parliament held its final session this Thursday before the newly elected legislature takes over in September. Following the May 11 elections, 83 current MPs will not return to their seats, paving the way for a significant political reshuffling.
Why is this important: During its last session, Parliament approved 11 legislative initiatives, including the 2024 annual report of the National Council for European Integration (KKIE). Although the opposition publicly claims to support Albania’s EU accession process, its MPs boycotted the vote—casting doubt on cross-party commitment to integration at a key moment.
Context: The KKIE report stirred heated exchanges during its presentation. Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku rejected accusations of opposition disengagement, arguing that the real obstacle to EU integration is the government itself. “We failed to rise above political interests. The process has been closed off in government drawers. Paper-based integration serves no one,” she said.
Her remarks drew sharp rebuttal from KKIE Vice Chair Toni Gogu of the Socialist Party. Gogu said Albania had made “titanic efforts” on EU reforms, noting that five negotiating chapters have been opened so far, with a sixth expected in the fall. He accused the opposition of undermining Albania abroad, referencing Sali Berisha’s past comments describing the country as Europe’s only narco-state. “The zero patient of Albanian corruption cannot defend the nation by throwing mud at it,” Gogu said.
Other votes: Parliament adopted the National Strategy Against Disinformation with 72 votes in favor. An amendment to the 2025 state budget passed with 71 votes.
The newly elected legislature will convene in September, ushering in a new political cycle with a significantly altered parliamentary composition.
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