WHY IS ALBANIA’S ADMISSION TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELAYED?
Europe’s demands for Albania were made public two years ago. Among them were those relating to changes in the constitutional and electoral law. What is preventing Albania from moving quickly toward Europe is the lack of will and desire to give direction and priority to reforms in the fields of legislation, human rights, and democratic standards.
An analysis of the documents and the press shows that talks on Albania’s admission to the Council of Europe have long entered an extended review phase. In many cases it has been stated that the main obstacles are linked to the failure to meet political criteria, the state of human rights, the functioning of institutions, and electoral norms.
The documents mention the need for further improvements in legislation, for ensuring real pluralism, for judicial independence, and for respect for political freedoms. They also mention the necessity of higher standards in election administration and in the treatment of the opposition.
In a context where other countries in the region are speeding up their rapprochement with European institutions, Albania’s delay is seen as the direct result of internal political deadlock and the lack of will for reform.
Another scandal cloud is swirling over the Ministry of Defense... worth 1 million dollars!
Senior officials and former heads of this ministry have been involved in a chain of dubious financial actions. These are purchases, supplies, and contracts carried out under unclear circumstances, which, according to sources, have seriously damaged the state budget.
At the center of the accusations is an amount reaching 1 million dollars. The issue is linked to incomplete procedures, lack of transparency, and suspicions of abuse of office.
A.M.
The troubles of the persecuted cannot be solved with a few barracks
Letter to the editor
Instead of being given lasting solutions for housing and the integration of the persecuted, they have been offered temporary and inadequate fixes. The authors of the letter say that building a few barracks cannot be considered social policy, nor a serious response to the suffering of this group.
According to them, promises have remained on paper, while living conditions continue to be harsh. They call on institutions to draw up real programs for housing, employment, and compensation.
At the end, they demand that the voice of the persecuted be heard with responsibility, not with propagandistic solutions.
DECLARATION concerning the criteria for admission to Europe
MIGJEN ANGELI
President of the Association of Former Politically Persecuted Persons
These days there is a broad debate on the standards Albania must meet in order to move closer to Europe. Our association believes that among the fundamental requirements must be respect for human dignity and the full rehabilitation of the victims of the past.
There can be no Europe without moral justice. For this reason we demand recognition of the historical truth, fair compensation, and the establishment of responsibility for the violations committed.
Laws must be reassessed, institutions cleansed of the spirit of revenge, and equality before the law guaranteed. Only then can one speak seriously about Albania’s admission to the European family.
REASONS
1. Confiscation of property.
2. Political convictions.
3. Civil rights.
4. Equality before the law.
5. Moral rehabilitation.
6. Protection of human dignity.
THE RISE IN PRICES OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES CONTINUES
Confirmed by INSTAT
The price of meat, rice, sugar, oil, and other basic consumer products has increased. The price of tobacco with rice, [the] table, health [items], that of tobacco and flour has fallen. It runs all the way [to] the government!
According to statistics, price movements over the latest period show a significant increase in the cost of living. The market appears unstable, while consumers face higher prices for the main items in the basket.
The accompanying table shows the changes by main groups.
Groups
Food, beverages and tobacco
Clothing and footwear
Household goods, equipment and [djeg?]
Medical care
Transport, communications
Education, culture, entertainment
Other expenses
T O T A L
December 93
100.0
100.00
December 94
109.77
204.90
140.75
123.26
98.61
144.73
90.05
115.82
January 95
2.4
0.1
4.8
0.0
1.6
0.2
2.6
1.8
Change January 95
December 94
7.4
4.6
12.13
4.3
9.2
3.9
6.5
13.6
Property is being sold under the table, workers are left on the street
PETITION: 200 employees of the directing department
A group of workers has addressed the responsible authorities with a petition, denouncing that the company’s property is being transferred without transparency, while hundreds of workers risk being left without jobs. According to them, decisions are being made without consultation and outside the public interest.
The petition says that 200 employees have been presented with a fait accompli and that assets built up over the years are being sold under the table. They demand an immediate verification, the stopping of suspicious transactions, and the protection of jobs.
The workers warn that they will continue their protests if the institutions do not intervene to establish legality.
Power is steeped in corruption
It was said that, at the grotesque and laughable level, the government team was involved in corrupt actions. In this environment, it can be seen that administrative decision-making serves not the public interest, but clientelist ties and narrow benefits.
The corruption accusations extend across several levels of the administration, where tenders, appointments, and interventions in procedures are mentioned. This climate, according to the article, damages citizens’ trust and hinders the country’s normal development.
Rub
