Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted after the Supreme Court’s ruling on Erion Veliaj, portraying the situation as a blockade carrying costs for Tirana. In a public statement, he took aim at the mayor’s continued detention and raised questions about the institutional and civic consequences of the situation.
Rama: Tirana is once again being left without direction
According to Rama’s statement, Tirana is once again facing a lack of direction, while Veliaj, whom he described as the elected mayor currently in office, cannot leave the cell where he is being held without a final trial having concluded.
The prime minister linked this situation to the functioning of the Municipality of Tirana, suggesting that the consequences fall not only on one individual, but on the administration of the city as a whole.
Respect for the ruling, but not without political objections
Rama said court decisions must be respected and that he abides by this rule, adding that he does not comment on them before they take final form.
However, his reaction was clearly political and critical of the way Veliaj’s case is being handled, reflecting the continuing tension between the governing majority and the justice system whenever investigations or measures affect senior figures in power.
Claim of an unusual case in Europe
In Rama’s version, Veliaj’s ordeal is an unusual case in the history of democratic Europe. He insisted that there is still no evidence of extreme dangerousness that would justify, in his view, the prolonged detention of an elected official.
This is a political claim by the prime minister and not a new judicial finding, and his reaction offered no additional elements beyond the assessment he made public.
Cost for the city and nearly 1 million residents
Rama argued that the gravest consequence of the situation is the cost being charged to Tirana every day. According to him, the capital has for nearly two years been living “with its head cut off,” while citizens are paying the price of a legal, social and economic experiment.
At its core, the head of government’s reaction shifts the debate from Veliaj’s individual case to the public consequences that, according to him, are being produced by a prolonged vacuum at the top of the municipality.
Rama’s reaction came immediately after the Supreme Court ruling and once again places the issue at the center of the clash between political power and the justice system.
For now, the prime minister’s public position remains an open political defense of Veliaj, accompanied by accusations about the cost this situation is imposing on Tirana.