Why is this important: For over 30 years, unauthorized buildings and encroachments by private businesses have remained a persistent problem in Albania. Despite numerous campaigns and enforcement actions over the years, the phenomenon has not only endured but often flourished once those operations concluded. This latest initiative aims to end the cycle of inaction through permanent legal and institutional reform.

Why is this important: Veliaj has now spent five months in detention without being formally charged. His international legal team argues that this violates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits arbitrary detention and requires that pretrial arrest be both necessary and proportionate. The case has sparked renewed criticism of double standards in the justice system, particularly when opposition figures accused of more serious offenses remain free.

Why is this important: Veliaj, arrested on February 10 in connection with a corruption investigation by SPAK (Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure), is one of the few sitting officials from the ruling Socialist Party to be detained while in office. But what has stirred widespread controversy is not the investigation itself—it’s the contrasting treatment of political figures across party lines.

Why is this important: Ironically, the Democratic Party that challenged the results turned out to have gained the most from inaccurate vote counts. The recounts revealed that PD had benefitted from more misallocated votes than any other political force. Although these discrepancies were attributed by the CEC to human error by ballot counters, they have not changed the final result or the number of parliamentary seats awarded. In some cases, votes appeared to have been shifted between candidates from the same party, raising fresh concerns about internal vote trafficking.

Why is this important: With political restructuring underway and local elections on the horizon in the capital, the Prime Minister is signaling zero tolerance for lax urban management. His call for a two-week audit of every public service and space in Tirana marks the start of a sweeping operation targeting illegal extensions, unpermitted businesses, and public-private boundary violations.