The debate over territorial reform once again brought tensions within the majority to the surface. At an event in Vajza, Selenica, Prime Minister Edi Rama publicly mocked Mayor Nertil Bellaj, one of the voices opposing the merger of this municipality with Vlora in the version proposed by the Socialist Party.
Public confrontation in Selenica
The clash came after another meeting Rama held with mayors of local government units that, under the plan circulated by the ruling majority, could be included in larger municipalities.
The fourth edition of “Vajza Fest” was held in the village of Vajza, a local event that has become a tradition for the area, with culture, heritage and the promotion of the territory at the center of attention. It was there that the discussion shifted from the festival to local politics and the future of the Municipality of Selenica.
What Mayor Bellaj said
In his remarks, Nertil Bellaj said the municipality has done work over the past four years and suggested that the decision on the institution’s fate remains in the prime minister’s hands.
He also mentioned the area’s natural resources, saying: “Prime Minister, here we also have seawater here, salty water. Nature has given us these things.” Bellaj went on to say that the municipality has tried to take the area to another level of mountain and river tourism.
Bellaj has openly come out against the merger of Selenica with Vlora, placing him at odds with the project the government is promoting for territorial reorganization.
Rama’s irony before those present
After the mayor’s remarks, Rama responded with irony, focusing on the reference to salty water in the area.
“I want to greet the Mayor, Nertil, and thank him for the information about the sea reaching the top of the mountain with salty water,” the prime minister said. In the same intervention, he also mentioned the minister for local government, Arbjan Demo, saying he was present to see firsthand how the Municipality of Selenica functions.
Territorial reform and local objections
This clash comes as Rama has begun a tour of consultations on the new territorial reform. Under the version proposed by the Socialist Party, the number of municipalities would be reduced from 61 to 46.
This process is being accompanied by reservations and objections in several areas, especially where local leaders and communities see a risk of losing representation or diminishing the role of existing municipalities. Against this backdrop, the prime minister’s public irony toward a dissenting mayor makes the unequal relationship between the central government and local government even more visible.
Beyond the exchange of barbs, the event in Selenica showed that the debate over the new administrative map is not being conducted only as a technical consultation. On the ground, it is also being read as a test of political strength between the government and local voices that do not line up with the official version.
In this climate, every public statement carries greater weight than a festive comment, especially when it concerns the fate of municipalities and the balance of power at the local level.