The Democratic Party has requested the development of a motion with debate regarding the protest that has been going on for days in the capital and the demands of citizens, bringing about a fierce political clash in the Conference of Mayors.

DP MP Jorida Tabaku stated at the Conference of Speakers that the Parliament is disconnected from reality and cannot function normally, while, according to her, the institution is facing a long-standing citizen protest with concrete demands for political change and the removal of the government. She also emphasized that the voice of the protest has reached the European institutions, being reflected in the latest reports of the European Parliament, which according to her deal with issues of elections and corruption in Albania.

Along the same lines, the head of the DP parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi, accused the majority of avoiding the parliamentary debate on the European Parliament's report on Albania. He stated that the government changes its position according to its interests and that it does not accept the discussion because, according to him, the document contains strong criticisms of it.

Bardhi said that the report raises concerns about corruption, clientelistic laws and media freedom, adding that the Assembly has an obligation to hold a full debate on these issues if European integration is to be taken seriously. During the discussions at the Conference of Speakers, Bardhi also responded to the majority’s accusations, saying that the opposition does not intend to represent the protest, but to convey the concerns of citizens. He accused the protesters of attacks and stressed that, according to him, representatives of the European Parliament have also raised concerns about the situation in the country, while the majority, as he expressed it, is avoiding any debate on these issues in the Assembly.

DEBATE
Jorida Tabaku: This Parliament is completely out of touch with reality. If you, as the majority, want to behave like this, we, as the opposition, will not allow it. You cannot behave normally in this hall, when the square in front of it has been filled with citizens for 25 days demanding the removal of the government and the prime minister, and who have concrete demands. The voice of this protest has reached the European Parliament and their concerns have become part of the latest reports of the European Parliament. You have the report and I am quoting it here. It is the European Parliament that has discussed the elections and corruption. It has discussed im…

Gazment Bardhi: You are terrified of the debate on the EP Report. You are being slandered in every sentence. Taulant Balla comes here and tells lies. He is the one who said in the session that we could develop a motion with a debate on the European Parliament report on Albania even without it being approved there first. Now that the report has been approved, he says that it cannot be developed. You want to avoid the debate on this report, because it is slandering you. Unlike what you are trying to present. If it is as you said, a medal for the government, let's discuss it. Why are you hiding from the debate on the European Parliament report? Come on and let's have the debate in the session. Find the paragraph that evaluates you. You have been tiring our ears for two weeks by talking about a historic resolution that, according to you, confirms the great successes of the government. Then why are you hiding? Or is the truth different? This resolution is slandering you in every sentence, from beginning to end. It talks about corrupt laws. I draw your attention to the political defense you gave to Belinda Balluku's corruption. I criticize you harshly regarding the custom laws and clientelistic laws. I raise the alarm for media freedom.

You cannot deny this parliamentary debate. It was you yourself, I repeat, who said in the session that the parliamentary debate will take place after the report is approved in the European Parliament. This is a duty that we must do. If this Assembly does not simply propagate European integration, then it has a duty to conduct this debate. We have not claimed and do not intend to become the spokesperson for the protest. We listen to the citizens and convey their concerns. We are not like you, who hide behind the keyhole every day and denigrate the girls and women who protest. You are making a name for yourself. You, Ulsi, laugh because you see the cars of immigrants, but you do not see your cars. What you are doing is scandalous and our duty is to listen to the citizens.
This is what we are doing, we listen to their voices and use every instrument at our disposal to convey their concerns and demands. Do you understand what absurdity you are in? Twenty members of the European Parliament are talking about the protest in Albania, while none of you has said a single word. But you do not have time for this, because you are eavesdropping behind the keyhole to attack the protesters.