Berisha: Opposition will block budget that “impoverishes and steals from Albanians”

Democratic Party leader, Sali Berisha, speaking from his home where he remains under house arrest on charges of passive corruption, announced in a virtual press conference that the opposition will attempt to block the approval of next year’s state budget in Parliament. Berisha described the proposed budget as one that impoverishes Albanians and serves only to enable theft through infrastructure investments.

Why is this important: The 2025 budget has not yet been formally presented by the Council of Ministers, but preliminary data suggest it will be the largest in Albania’s history, exceeding €8 billion. It is expected to be about 4% higher than the 2024 budget and over 20% larger than the 2022 budget. This makes it a crucial issue for the government, which is aiming to maintain growth while dealing with various economic challenges.

Context: Berisha claims that the proposed budget is “anti-social” because it does not plan for pension increases or direct support for citizens. Instead, he argues, it focuses on what he calls the “chunks of theft” in infrastructure projects. However, Berisha’s criticisms come despite no detailed public document yet outlining how the budget will allocate public funds. While the Democratic Party leader has vowed to block the budget, he has not specified how, given that in past attempts, the opposition has been unable to stop legislation from passing.

In last year’s budget approval, the opposition tried a similar strategy of disruption, but the Socialist majority managed to pass the budget without debate. Despite opposition protests, both inside and outside Parliament—complete with whistles, flares, and table-banging—the Socialist Party approved the budget using its overwhelming majority. The opposition’s protests had little impact, as budget discussions were mainly held in parliamentary committees, which conducted virtual meetings via Zoom to avoid disruptions.