Konfindustria

Which is your point of view on the current political situation in Albania as a well- known expert in economy and also due to your experience in central state institutions? I should say that the current political situation is a natural result of everything that has happened during the 25- year history of the Albanian state- forming, the legacy, the economy and the international geo- strategic developments. During all these years of transition we could not build a functional democratic state. But also we had no objective possibilities for many reasons to build functional democracy. Everything was formally democratic but it was fundamentally pseudo- democracy. Nevertheless, the 25-year exercise has been useful for three main reasons: adaptation and recognition of the principles of the democratic state; the identification of the nature of the illness; the definition of the curing medicament which, in this case, is the partial or the total delegation of the judicial power to the internationals, our strategic longterm allies countries‎. I think that we are already passing a key stage of the thorough reformation of the Albanian state which will have exactly the judicial system as Archimedes Point. The friendly countries have evaluated that the governance in Albania should not only create internal and regional stability, but should also now it's the right moment to be obliged to begin producing genuine democracy. As far as this is concerned the internationals also are aware that now they should be directly present in albanian most important decisions making and not only search it through the local politicians be them even missionaries or self- labeled as such by themselves. I underline that without the intervention and help of the friendly countries Albania's entire political scene neither wished nor could build a true democratic system. Why do you assess that Albania does not have the possibility to build a genuine democratic system? There are many objective reasons but I would single out one which, according to me, is determining: the economy and the need for survival of the Albanian people during the transition years. The destruction of the totalitarian and anti-democratic system, the massive poverty etc., determined the survival of the Albanian people through all the possible ways. Many were illegal activities and a significant part had criminal character. First of all, the need for survival of the citizens determined the pseudo- democratic nature in a large scale of the state institutions, which were formed in continuity, including here the judiciary system with clear elements of corruption and incapableness which climaxed to criminalization. But I point out once more that the judiciary system was created and build as such by the political decision- making in face of subjective and objective impossibilities to provide its citizens with the living possibility through legal means. It should be also added here the corruption and the comfort of the governance without considering the nature of sources and means that made possible the rapid unfair enrichment of the actual political class. Naturally this continued until the disfunction of democracy, and the thirstiness for power of the incapable and corrupt politicians made that well known representants of crime become open and not hidden officially present even in the Albanian Parliament. And here we are today! According to you, which is the defect in the Albanian terrain of the package of the judiciary reform proposed by internationals and how can it be improved? I think that it has two main defects. Firstly, their presence should be direct with foreign staff in courts, prosecution, police agencies, decision- making and monitoring institutions of the system and not indirectly with Albanian individuals. This should happen for at least at the second and third levels of judiciary (Court of Appeals and Supreme Court) and that period should be not less than 10 years. Secondly, it should be accompanied with an economic Marshall Plan for Albania which should function paralelly with the implementation of the reform in judiciary. If we simply think and take into consideration that at least 30 - 40 percent of the Albanian economy is informal and a considerable part has even criminal nature, you can realize what impact has the implementation of the judiciary reform on people's survival. It is indispensable a comprehensive financial aid program, economic development projects, integration in the EU job markets and quickened integration in EU. Otherwise either we will have unrest and continuous social instability or will have at least 500, 000 Albanians in immigration floads towards EU! I am afraid that EU has not taken into account this effect of the reform in justice and I invite them to reflect as soon as possible. How do you think of an eventual and acceptable scenario to overcome the political crisis and begin the implementation of the judiciary reform? I think that the most probable is the implementation of a process in some stages: - The holding of elections on June 18 this year in any case even without the participation of the main opposition. - The completion of all the remaining part of the judiciary package by the new Parliament and its entering into force. - The holding of early elections within the spring of 2018 with a genuine technical government. In such a case the interests of parties and main political individuals, but also of the internationals can be realized. Naturally, there will be politicians and political forces that will lose, but the Albanian citizens will be the winners. Certainly, it would be hoped that the internationals will be capable to build an accompanying strategy of economic, financial and integrating aid for Albanian citizens and not only the implementation of a reform in judiciary as a means in itself and as a theoretical exercise without taking into consideration the effects in the terrain.