A new draft law on the functioning of the Bank of Albania has opened a political debate, as it предусматриes special procedural protection for the governor and deputy governors. According to the draft, no arrest measure or restriction of liberty can be imposed on them without prior authorization from the Constitutional Court. The point has been used by the opposition to raise doubts about the standard of accountability at the top of the monetary institution.
What the draft provides for the leaders of the Bank of Albania
At the center of the debate is the article that gives the governor and deputy governors an additional procedural filter before any arrest measure or restriction of liberty.
In practice, the draft sets a special threshold of protection that passes through the Constitutional Court, a formula that is expected to spark discussion not only legal, but also political, because of the sensitive position the Bank of Albania holds in the country’s economy.
Berisha against it: in a state governed by law, anyone can be arrested on the basis of criminal offenses
The head of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, reacted during a conversation with citizens, saying he was surprised by the amendment and that, in a state governed by law, even the governor can be arrested if there are substantiated criminal offenses.
He opposed the idea of special protection for the leaders of the central bank, presenting the draft as problematic for the standard of equality before the law.
Political accusations over silence on the euro’s depreciation
Berisha went further and shifted the debate to the exchange rate, claiming that the Bank of Albania bears responsibility for its silence over the depreciation of the euro in the country.
According to him, the bank has intervened in the market to normalize the situation, but without success, while he accused its leaders of not speaking openly about the causes and consequences of this phenomenon in the economy.
In his statements, Berisha used the term “narco-euro,” a political label that was not accompanied by new evidence in this appearance, but which he linked to damage to Albanian businesses.
The political clash goes beyond the central bank
In the same statement, Berisha also directed responsibility toward Prime Minister Edi Rama, presenting the euro situation as an issue that, according to his political version, cannot be separated from the government.
This turns the debate from a technical issue of central bank independence and responsibility into a broad political clash, in which the draft law, the exchange rate and institutional accountability are being placed in the same package of accusations.
The draft on the Bank of Albania is expected to draw attention not only for its procedural aspect, but also for the larger question it raises: how far should the legal protection of the leaders of an independent institution go without undermining the principle of public accountability?
At this stage, the opposition’s accusations remain political, while the core of the debate remains the content of the draft law and the effects it may have on institutional oversight of the central bank.