TIRANA, June 17 – Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu said the justice reform and vetting process marked a key pillar in Albania’s European integration path during the closing ceremony of the transitional reassessment of judges and prosecutors.
Koçiu said the reform proved Albania can deliver difficult structural changes and confront entrenched interests. She added that it placed public interest above all other considerations.
The deputy prime minister said the event marked the closure of a constitutional institution’s mandate and the end of a major chapter in state-building. She said the justice system underwent one of the most far-reaching transformations in Albania’s modern history.
Koçiu said the reform aimed to rebuild trust rather than punish individuals. She added that public office does not represent a privilege and that no one stands above the law.
More than 800 judges, prosecutors and legal advisers underwent vetting, Koçiu said. She noted that the process covered assets, integrity and professional competence.
She said Albania’s justice system no longer reflects the 2016 structure. Koçiu added that the country now has a new constitutional architecture and stronger institutions against corruption and organized crime.
Koçiu said justice institutions must maintain the standards created by vetting. She also said accountability must become a normal operating principle rather than a temporary requirement.
The government must ensure legal frameworks, resources and institutional independence, she said. Koçiu added that political actors must not interfere in judicial decision-making.
/a.p./
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