The first session of Parliament opened with a fierce political clash between the leaders of the parliamentary groups, showing that the atmosphere in the chamber remains unchanged: serious accusations from the opposition and sarcastic responses from the majority. At the center of the debate were accusations of state capture, the use of parliamentary votes for narrow interests, and the way Parliament’s agenda is being handled.
Bardhi: the majority is voting on laws for the country’s “looting”
PD parliamentary group leader Gazment Bardhi opened the session with a frontal attack on the majority, claiming that it is continuing to pass laws that, according to him, serve Edi Rama and a broad scheme of abuse of the state and public assets.
Bardhi said Parliament has been turned into a mechanism that votes “with heads bowed” and accused the majority of having “notarized” state capture for years. In his speech, he linked this situation to corruption, organized crime, and money laundering, presenting the majority’s vote as a key link in the functioning of this scheme, according to the opposition’s version.
Accusations over the Constitution, public property, and strategic investments
Bardhi went on to allege that the majority is refusing to include on the parliamentary agenda issues related to the implementation of the Constitution, the balance between powers, and Constitutional Court decisions.
He also attacked the law on strategic investments, which he claimed has paved the way for state land to be transferred to private interests. According to him, this concerns 2.1 million square meters of state land in important areas of the country, a serious political accusation articulated without new evidence being presented in the chamber during this exchange.
References to Ahmetaj and KAYO, broader accusations against the government
In his speech, Bardhi also referred to statements made the previous evening by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, claiming that what he called the “map of state capture” had been laid out there.
He mentioned names and mechanisms that, according to him, are being used for decision-making and deals serving private interests, while adding that state companies are being used to transfer public assets and money to selected private parties. Along the same lines, Bardhi also accused the majority over the vote on the law that created KAYO, claiming that a state company had been given concentrated control over the production and trade of weapons, ammunition, and military technologies.
Balla’s response: sarcasm toward the opposition and a message about the ground campaign
On the other side, PS parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla chose to respond with sarcasm, saying the opposition was showing that it would vote for the majority’s draft laws. He called this a “good start,” turning Bardhi’s statement into a political counterattack.
Balla then presented the PS objectives for the session, with an emphasis on contact with citizens. He spoke about the “Besa” and “Prania Besnike” initiatives, saying PS representatives will be in the field every Friday to listen to citizens. In his remarks, Balla sought to shift the debate away from accusations about governance toward an organizational and political message about the PS presence on the ground.
The first debate of the session showed that Parliament is entering a new phase with the same strong political divisions and with a deep gap between the opposition’s accusations and the majority’s narrative.
Beyond the sarcasm and political formulas, the fact remains that accusations of state capture, use of public assets, and bypassing constitutional oversight were once again raised in the chamber, while the majority chose not to respond substantively to most of them.