The clash over the Territorial Reform returned to Parliament with sharp political tones, as the majority rejected the opposition’s requests to remove the draft law from the agenda. On one side, a referendum was demanded for an intervention that directly affects local governance, while on the other, the majority signaled that the decision is practically settled and that the law is expected to be voted on within the day.
The opposition’s request was rejected in session
Parliament rejected the requests submitted by Sali Berisha and Tedi Blushi to remove the law on Territorial Reform from the agenda. With this decision, the parliamentary majority chose not to allow any procedural retreat, despite the objections raised by the opposition.
After the vote in the chamber, both requests were voted down, while the session leadership signaled that proceedings would continue under the approved agenda. In practice, this cleared the way for the discussion and then the vote on the initiative in the same session.
Berisha called for a referendum on the territorial division
Sali Berisha described the draft as unacceptable and said the issue should not be settled only by the votes of the majority in Parliament. In his position, he called for the Territorial Reform to go to a referendum and for citizens to be asked directly about a decision which, according to the opposition, is tied to their future.
According to the opposition’s version, such an intervention should not pass without the test of a popular vote. This was the core of the request presented in the session, but the majority did not agree to halt the parliamentary procedure.
PS: agreement was obtained in the elections, the law will be voted on today
In response, the head of the PS parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, declared that the majority considers political support for this initiative to have been secured as early as the May 11, 2025 elections, referring to its “2030” program. According to him, the issue will be discussed and voted on during today’s session.
Balla invited the opposition to set up a joint commission next week on the division of competences and said its proposals could be reviewed. However, the PS position in the chamber was clear: the agenda will not change and the vote on the Territorial Reform will move forward.
The political clash remains over the legitimacy of the reform
The debate is not only procedural. At its core, the clash is unfolding over the question of who holds the legitimacy for such a reform: the majority, which claims a political mandate from the elections, or the citizens through a referendum, as the opposition demands.
At this stage, Parliament has chosen the path of the parliamentary majority, refusing the request to stop or postpone consideration of the law. This places the reform on firmly political ground, where the debate over representation and public consultation remains open.
With the opposition’s requests rejected, the session continued under the existing agenda and the Territorial Reform remained on Parliament’s voting agenda.
On an issue that directly affects the administrative map and the relationship between power and communities, the clash in the chamber once again showed that the majority is moving ahead at its own pace, while objections are seeking legitimacy beyond parliamentary numbers.