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After EU criticism, judges and prosecutors demand an end to political interference and guarantees for their safety

2026-11-06 11:39:09Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

After EU criticism, judges and prosecutors demand an end to political

Political interference and attacks on magistrates should be stopped, their safety should be guaranteed, and the salary reform should be drafted in consultation with the judiciary. These are the demands of three associations of judges and prosecutors, which call on institutions to implement the European Commission's recommendations without delay.

"An independent judiciary requires a secure, respected and pressure-free judiciary. This is the responsibility of all institutions," said a statement from the Union of Judges, the National Association of Judges and the Prosecutors.

Their statement comes after the publication of the European Commission's progress report, which highlighted the efforts of politicians and officials to influence the justice system as well as personal attacks on magistrates. 

"During the reporting period, attempts by public officials or politicians to exert undue influence over the judicial system, including SPAK, as well as personal attacks on magistrates continued," the report said.

Regarding salaries, the Commission considers the situation created in August, when the conflict between the government and magistrates over the implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision led to a salary freeze, as unprecedented. The report assesses that this seriously undermined the functioning of the judiciary and raised concerns about its independence.

“The salary reform should be drafted in genuine consultation with the judiciary, concrete measures should be taken for the security of courts and prosecutors’ offices, and the justice system should be provided with the human and technical resources it needs,” the report said.
The magistrates say that “an independent judiciary requires magistrates who are secure, respected and free from pressure.”

Full statement of the magistrates

The European Commission's 2026 report, published on 4 November 2026, assesses that Albania has made good progress in the functioning of the judiciary and that the completion of the vetting process has further strengthened independence, accountability and integrity. This progress has been achieved thanks to the daily work of judges and prosecutors, often in difficult conditions. But the report also clearly shows what remains unresolved.

The Commission notes that attempts by public officials and politicians, including at the highest levels, to exert undue influence on justice institutions, as well as personal attacks on magistrates, have continued. The conflict over the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision on salaries led to the blocking of the judiciary’s budgets and the non-payment of August salaries, a situation that the report describes as unprecedented. The report stresses that the salary reform should respect CEPEJ standards, the principles of the Constitutional Court and include meaningful consultations with the judiciary.

The report finds a lack of progress in ensuring security standards for judges and prosecutors. Eight magistrates have been placed under protection: six prosecutors and two judges. According to the report, the murder of Tirana Court of Appeal judge Astrit Kalaja in October 2025 was not followed by a sufficient reaction by courts, state authorities and councils to guarantee the security of the judiciary at all levels.

District courts and prosecutors’ offices continue to operate under severe constraints, with high workloads and limited staffing. For district prosecutors’ offices, the report also notes insufficient capacity for financial investigations and complex cases, and recommends that their strengthening be a priority. The lack of magistrates and support staff, as well as delays in the electronic case management system, continue to affect the quality and efficiency of justice.

We, the Union of Judges of Albania, the National Association of Judges of the Republic of Albania and the Association of Prosecutors of the Republic of Albania, call on the responsible institutions to implement the recommendations of the report without delay: to stop interference and attacks on magistrates, to draft the salary reform in genuine consultation with the judiciary, to take concrete measures for the security of courts and prosecutors' offices, and to provide the justice system with the human and technical resources it needs.

An independent judiciary requires a secure, respected judiciary free from pressure. This is the responsibility of all institutions.

Union of Judges of Albania

National Association of Judges of the Republic of Albania

Association of Prosecutors of the Republic of Albania


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