Prime Minister Edi Rama faced moments of tension during a meeting with residents of Zvërnec in Vlora, where the debate focused on the tourism project and the issue of properties in the area.
During the conversation, some residents accused the government of looting coastal properties.
Faced with constant objections and interventions from those present, Rama became irritated, losing his composure at several moments and raising his voice during the debate.
The meeting was accompanied by strong retorts between the prime minister and the residents, who openly expressed their opposition to the project that has caused controversy and successive protests in Tirana.
Excerpt from the Prime Minister's debate
Citizen: I am one of the owners of Zvërnec. That property was robbed with forged documents.
Branch: It's not my issue whether the land was stolen. I'm here to talk about the government's report on this project.
Resident: I'm Minella Balliu, one of the contenders. That property was robbed with forged documents.
Edi Rama: This is not my issue.
Minella Balliu: Not yours, of corrupt justice.
Edi Rama: Yes, the corrupt justice has begun. What can I tell you? Do you believe that we have an area that has an owner in the sea? We have plots in the sea, not here, in another area. I have seen owners on limited plots of land, green, semi-green, brown, even on rocks. But in the sea, the blue sea, there is an owner. Here, the property has become famous and we did not come to discover it today. I am not even telling you that there is no right. You may be very right, but where can you find this right? Only in the justice system. There are also many judges here who own property.
Resident: We have been denied a voice.
Branch: Here I am, I have come to listen.
resident: Bido has spoken with names...
Foliage: I told him you have the right to speak your mind, but he's not a judge.
Resident: The property is in litigation and nothing should have been initiated.
Edi Rama: Court proceedings are everyone's right. If someone can open a court case for this building, that doesn't mean that this building can't be demolished and a school built. As long as there is no decision from the court that the case for which the process has been opened is a case that should be frozen, life continues. Because it's up to everyone to open court cases.
Edi Rama: We agree that the project should be developed, but the property should be returned to the owners.
Edi Rama: The agency verifies them with the cadastre. The cadastre has said these are them, in terms of papers the procedure has been followed as for everyone else. Luck in this case, yours may not have been under investigation at all, or there may have been no connection to SPAK, which has entered this process quite naturally. If you turn out to be the owner, the money that is frozen is confiscated and becomes state money and the state deals with the owners. Order the money and continue the work. SPAK has its own job, we have ours.
Resident: The Zvërnec issue is a somewhat complex problem, but one that must be resolved. With the advent of democracy, we... I received a letter and it was unfairly taken away from me.
Foliage: Who removed it?
Tracksme: Someone else.
Foliage: I'm here to put a face to the things I'm responsible for. And if you had elected me earlier, maybe things would have gone better. If you had elected me earlier, maybe things would have gone better.
Resident: To kidnap me in 2006? And the one who bought the land in Zvërnec, how did he buy it? When the land was stolen and is in court?
Foliage: You're lowering the microphone a little, because when you hold the microphone like that, you don't expect to hear me, but it looks like you're going to hit me. You have a house and it's yours on the papers. Meanwhile, your 2 brothers have sued you because you claim the house is theirs. You say 'this house is mine', they say 'your father did the laundry'.
resident: The state should solve my problem. I don't have to go to court, I've been going to court since 2006 and paying money for nothing.
Foliage: That power should tell you, I can't tell you. The peasant has the right to say 'I have this letter'. Oh brother, are you going to make me curse the court? I'm ready, but you'll ruin my business with Europe. Don't get me into trouble with Europe again. I'm ready to join you. Well, you say 'let's join together to find the judge's house?'. If we catch the judge, let this other guy join us, the judge has no chance. But is this democracy? I know this, my power as prime minister ends where the power of the Court begins. Don't get me into cursing the courts now, because if we sit here dealing with them, they'll catch us both later.
