Berisha vows to dismantle SPAK in protest before SPAK, mere days after condemning rivals for peaceful gathering

Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha intensified his attacks on Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) during a protest outside its headquarters, just days after accusing his Socialist rivals of attempting a “coup” against justice by gathering outside the same institution. Emerging from SPAK after complying with his mandatory reporting order, Berisha launched a fresh wave of threats against SPAK’s leadership, vowing to dissolve the institution if he regains power in the May 11 elections.

Why is this important: Berisha’s rhetoric against SPAK has taken an increasingly aggressive turn as his legal troubles have deepened. The irony of his statements is also striking—just days ago, Berisha labeled a gathering of Socialist Party supporters outside the Special Court as an attack on the justice system,  while now leading his own protest outside SPAK’s doors, threatening to dissolve SPAK and issuing direct threats against its prosecutors.

Context: Berisha, who faces corruption charges and must report twice a month to SPAK, has organized a campaign of roadblocks and protests across Albania, frequently targeting SPAK’s chief prosecutor, Altin Dumani, and his family. His latest remarks outside SPAK go further than before, as he openly declared his intent to abolish the institution entirely and imprison prosecutors whom he claims are “linked to criminal gangs.”

What did he say: Speaking to his supporters, Berisha likened SPAK’s actions to the justice systems under Enver Hoxha and Adolf Hitler, describing it as an institution that “must be eliminated at all costs.” His statements reflect his deepening hostility toward SPAK as the investigation into his alleged corruption continues.

“The same fate as the criminal gangs will await the prosecutors who work with them. This institution will not exist. An institution outside any control must be shut down at all costs.”

Berisha further accused SPAK of overstepping its legal authority, particularly in investigating judges, a practice he claimed even dictatorships had not implemented:

“SPAK goes beyond the justice systems of Enver Hoxha and Hitler. When you start tapping judges’ phones, you have created a justice system that not even Hitler or Enver had.”

Double standard: Berisha’s accusations against SPAK come just days after he condemned a peaceful gathering in support of the mayor of Tirana outside the Special Court, calling it an attempted coup against the judiciary. He justified his own protest at SPAK as an exercise of his constitutional right.

“The difference between the opposition’s protests and the government’s protests outside an institution is the difference between the exercise of the right to protest and a coup.”

What else: Berisha’s repeated attacks and protests against SPAK, combined with his explicit vow to dismantle the institution, constitute an unprecedented direct challenge to Albania’s justice reform. Prime Minister Edi Rama dismissed Berisha’s threats, sarcastically reassuring him in a video that his chances of coming to power on May 11—let alone dismantling SPAK—are zero.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Party has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the independence of judicial institutions, while simultaneously calling for them to uphold legal standards and due process.

“Those who want to overthrow justice reform are still among us, right in front of us, swearing that if they win on May 11, they will dissolve SPAK entirely,” Rama said.

With the elections approaching, Berisha’s openly declared war on SPAK and the controversy surrounding the arrest of the mayor of Tirana, have suddenly placed the future of Albania’s judicial institutions at the center of political debate.