On 21 October, former President and current Freedom Party (FP) leader Ilir Meta (also a Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister during his 35-year political presence), was arrested on a warrant issued by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Corruption (SPAK) on charges of corruption, money laundering, and concealment of wealth. Masked police forcibly removed Meta from his car in traffic, which an FP spokesperson called "criminal kidnapping." The police cited his resistance and offensive behaviour. The Ombudsperson launched an investigation into this. The arrest is one of several by SPAK, including that of ruling Socialist Party MP Jurgis Cyrbja in October. It marks a shift in political dynamics and high-level corruption, given Meta’s role as a kingmaker, leading the third most powerful party. With elections in 2025, two top opposition figures are now in custody, including Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha (under house arrest since 2023).  If found guilty, Meta faces up to 12 years in prison.  

Sources: RTV KLAN (You Tube), Gazeta Tema, Balkan Insight (1), Balkan Insight (2),  Reuters, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), International IDEA (3) 

On 13 September, the Albanian Parliament voted for a third time against sending the mandate of the ruling Socialist Party (SP) Member of Parliament Olta Xhaçka for review in the Constitutional Court. This comes despite a ruling by the Court requiring MPs to submit Xhaçka’s mandate for review, which could lead to Xhaçka losing her seat as an MP. The case stems from a 2022 dispute in which the opposition accused then-foreign minister and current MP Olta Xhaçka of a conflict of interest, after her husband, a former SP MP, was granted "strategic investor" status to build a hotel. The Parliament's refusal to comply with the Court's ruling has drawn criticism from the opposition, analysts, and both the EU Delegation and the U.S. Embassy, as a move that undermines the separation of powers and the rule of law, whereas MPs cited their right to vote freely. As a next step, the Parliament has sought the Venice Commission's opinion on the legislature’s obligation to implement judicial decisions. The Venice Commission is set to review the issue in December. 

Sources: Balkan Insight, Tirana Times, Shqiptarja, Euronews Albania  

In July, the Agriculture Ministry informed parliament that EU pre-accession agricultural support funds were suspended indefinitely. The current suspension comes after the European Union Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) revealed that EUR 33 million from Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD) II had been misused. Funds had been initially suspended in 2023, when corruption was suspected. Irregularities included manipulated tenders, inflated prices, and contractual breaches. OLAF recommended that the EU blocks EUR 112 million planned for IPARD III. In response, MP Agron Shehaj summoned Agriculture Minister Anila Denaj to parliament to address these findings. Authorities in Tirana have not provided a timeline for reopening the funds, with the Minister stating that IPARD III will resume once Albania proves it can handle EU funds responsibly. This scandal sparked controversy over the misuse of EU funds for farmers, one of the labour market's most vulnerable groups, and raised concerns about future funding prospects and the country's credibility as an EU candidate.

Sources: European Union Anti-Fraud Office, Top Channel, Balkan Insight, Tirana Times, Reporter, International IDEA

On 22 February, the parliament ratified a deal between Prime Minister Edi Rama and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which will lead to the transfer of asylum seekers rescued at sea by Italian authorities to Italian-funded detention centers in Albania. Women, children and individuals deemed “vulnerable” will be exempt from the centers, sparking concerns about potential family separations. Experts and rights groups say the deal breaches international law, has legal ambiguities and will likely impact protection of rights. The deal was previously ruled constitutional by the Albanian Constitutional Court and was approved by the Italian Senate. Opposition MPs criticized the deal for its lack of transparency and threats to national security, while the Italian center-left opposition MPs called it a “shameful attempt” to turn Albania into Italy's version of "Guantanamo”. While the Constitutional Court said Albanian law would apply in the detention centers, Italian PM Meloni stated they would fall under Italian jurisdiction. The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights warned the deal “will likely undermine crucial human rights safeguards.”

Sources: Reporter.al, Euronews, Euronews Albania, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Verfassungsblog, International IDEA  

Update: Migrant detention centers in Albania, set up in October to review asylum applications for people rescued or stopped at sea by Italian ships, have sent all migrants back to Italy. The centers were designed to decide if migrants could be sent back to their countries of origin or returned to Italy for further legal processing. However, a Rome Court ruled these migrants cannot be repatriated due to unsafe countries of origin (Bangladesh and Egypt). In an emergency meeting, the Italian government passed a decree to overcome the ruling, allowing the government to amend the list of safe countries, but in November, the Court again ordered the migrants’ return to Italy. This sparked a dispute between the government and the judiciary over the definition of “safe countries” and the precedence of EU law. The government designated certain countries as safe, even though some regions within them remain unsafe. The Court’s decision aligned with a prior European Court of Justice ruling, which states a country cannot be deemed safe if it has unsafe regions.  

Sources: Ditar, il Manifesto, Politico, European Court of Justice, Euronews (1), Euronews (2), The Guardian (1), The Guardian (2)