The Democratic Party has chosen a partial withdrawal from parliamentary activity, declaring that it will not take part in Assembly sessions until, in its view, the protesters’ demands are taken into consideration. At the same time, Sali Berisha is trying to maintain a political balance that is not without contradictions: to distance himself from the protest as a party-organized action, while at the same time presenting himself as its voice in the institutions that until yesterday he used as an arena of confrontation.
PD leaves the sessions, not the committees
According to Berisha’s statement, the PD does not consider this move a full boycott of Parliament. His version is that Democratic deputies will be absent from plenary sessions, but not from parliamentary committees.
Berisha argued that this non-participation will continue until, according to him, Prime Minister Edi Rama stops blocking the presentation in Parliament of amendments submitted by PD deputies for legal changes which, according to the opposition, are linked to the protesters’ demands. The claim remains political, and it is unclear whether it will produce any real effect on parliamentary procedures.
Formal distancing from the protest, but not from its political capital
In public appearances, Berisha has tried to maintain a formal distance from the civic protest, especially under conditions in which calls rejecting representation by the opposition have also been heard on the boulevard. Nevertheless, he has not withdrawn from attempts to translate this movement into political pressure on the government.
According to him, the PD has not called another protest precisely so as not to distract attention from what he described as a citizens’ protest. Likewise, Berisha said the party has joined this movement without party symbols, while for the PD he has declared the motto “renewal.”
The announced political action has been suspended
The Democrats’ plan for action before the start of the civic protests has been suspended. This shows that the opposition is trying not to place itself openly at the head of a protest that, at least in the public narrative, seeks to keep its distance from the parties.
In practical terms, this position allows the PD to stay close to the discontent in the streets without bearing the full cost of organizing it or of its possible failure.
Berisha warns of another lawsuit over the book of projects
Following developments around the protest, Berisha also announced the preparation of a second lawsuit linked to the book of projects by international architects. He described this material as a matter carrying serious criminal weight and welcomed its submission to SPAK by representatives of the protest.
According to Berisha, the PD is also reviewing the file and will present another indictment. At this stage, these are accusations and political warnings, while it remains to be seen whether they will be followed by concrete procedural steps or evidence that carries weight before the justice system.
New accusations against Rama over spending at the Prime Minister’s Office
The PD leader also raised accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, claiming that he is changing the furnishings of the Prime Minister’s Office with inappropriate colors and at high cost.
Here too, this is a political accusation articulated by the opposition, with no verified details in the source material on the value of the spending or the procedures followed.
The PD’s move to partly leave the Assembly appears more like an attempt to ride the wave of the protest than a clear break with the institutional system that the opposition itself says it is challenging.
Whether this strategy will translate into real pressure on the government or remain an intermediate positioning for political consumption remains an open question.