December 16, 2025 17:24
Analyst Fatos Lubonja, invited to the News24 studio, commented on SPAK's request to the Parliament to lift the immunity of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in order to authorize her arrest, raising strong questions about the relationship between the government and the judiciary.
According to Lubonja, given the way Rama has treated the new judiciary, as "a child who has not grown up", it was expected that he would exert pressure to prevent such a step by SPAK. The analyst raises the question of where the "courage" of the Special Prosecution Office comes from, linking it to the professionalism and honesty of some prosecutors, but also to international support.
He stressed that the prime minister has focused on procedures, whether someone should be sent to prison or not, but has avoided, according to him, the essence of the scandal in the file. “There are 50 million euros that are going to the defendants with your blessing. There is no position on this,” Lubonja said, adding that Rama should not only demand Balluk’s resignation, but also take personal responsibility.
Lubonja also hypothesized that the prime minister may be making “political theater,” by already releasing Balluk, but publicly justifying himself with justice. However, he considered this scenario weaker, expressing the belief that Rama would not want to release Balluk, but is hindered by greater circumstances and forces.
The analyst also spoke of a clash between institutions, describing the situation as out of control, with corruption, wiretapping, gangs and successive scandals. “The violence has been unleashed,” he said, adding that new developments are expected.
Regarding the role of the Constitutional Court, Lubonja was critical, stating that it “washed its hands” of the heated decision, postponing the case to January 22. According to him, this brought a counter-response from SPAK, which requested the arrest, while the decision is now expected from the Assembly.
According to Lubonja, if the Assembly does not vote to lift Balluk’s immunity, Prime Minister Rama “takes off his mask,” dealing a strong blow to justice and losing legitimacy, both domestically and internationally. He warned that such an action would have serious consequences for Albania’s image and public trust, emphasizing that the country is at a critical moment and with developments expected to follow.
