The Municipality of Tirana is facing a visible administrative deadlock after Erion Veliaj revoked the powers he had delegated to Deputy Mayor Anuela Ristani. The move, made public on the institution’s notice boards, has left a series of decisions requiring the mayor’s signature on hold, from economic aid to employee salaries.
The order that changed the chain of decision-making
The order by the Mayor of Tirana to remove the delegated powers granted to Anuela Ristani on February 14, 2025 has now been publicly posted in the municipality’s outdoor premises.
According to the version presented, due to a lack of coordination with the mayor, as of August 28 Ristani remains only in the role of deputy mayor, without the authority to exercise the powers previously delegated to her.
Administration waiting for a signature
Since this Monday, a situation of uncertainty has been created at the municipality, as decisions that require the mayor’s signature are no longer able to move normally through the administration.
Legally, the right to make these decisions belongs to Erion Veliaj, who according to the reporting is exercising the function remotely. This appears to be the core of the crisis: the system is built around the signature of a single person, while services and payments depend on it.
Economic aid, salaries and services risk delays
Among the first issues that could be affected are payments for people receiving economic aid. This requires a meeting of the Municipal Council, which is convened by the mayor, while the execution of the payments also requires his signature.
Along the same lines, preparations for the start of the new school year and the first-time implementation of the “after-school” project also require financial support that takes effect only with the mayor’s signature.
Without that signature, services provided by contracted companies, such as cleaning, also face difficulties, while the list of problems also includes the salaries of municipal employees for the month of August.
Other time-sensitive decisions remain up in the air
The practical suspension of decision-making also affects other areas with deadlines and financial consequences, such as taxes in the construction sector, fuel subsidization for transport in Tirana County, as well as decisions related to property administration, appointments or dismissals.
This turns the issue from a formal shift of powers into a concrete test of how the municipality functions, where a conflict or lack of coordination at the top risks blocking the basic links of the administration.
Veliaj’s lawyer at the municipality to resolve the impasse
On Monday morning, Erion Veliaj’s lawyer was seen at the premises of the Municipality of Tirana and met with Anuela Ristani to identify the decisions considered urgent.
Lawyer Ndreca said that options are being examined for how to sign the documents and decisions that require Veliaj’s signature, who has been held in pretrial detention in Durrës for more than a year and a half.
At its core, the situation highlights how dependent public decision-making remains on a single signature, even when the institution is supposed to guarantee continuity of service.
For citizens and employees, the consequence is not theoretical: it is a chain of payments, services and decisions that may remain frozen until a workable legal solution is found.