Before the start of the new session of the Parliament today at 17:00, Bledi Çuçi gathered the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party.

In his speech to the deputies, Çuçi in his capacity as head of the parliamentary group, summarized the previous parliamentary session, which he described as atypical due to the opposition’s stance with scenes of violence and blockades.

Çuçi stated that changes to the Parliament’s Rules aim to discipline the conduct of sessions, urging Socialist Party deputies to attend sessions to avoid jeopardizing the quorum and laws voting.

Furthermore, the head of the Socialist Party parliamentary group called for a qualitative improvement in debates in Parliament and active participation of deputies.

“For this session, I especially want to emphasize the approach that our group should have regarding integration. In the conditions where we already have a European agenda, the focus is not only on the Government but also on other constitutional institutions. As a parliamentary group in this session, we should be an accountable instrument of independent institutions. We need to create a mechanism for independent institutions to have a specific focus on the recommendations given by the EU,” said Çuçi, among other things.

Regarding today’s session, he mentioned that the decrees for the new ministers are expected to pass, so participation in the vote should not be lacking.

Çuçi expressed regret for the opposition’s current stances, which has announced that it will continue attempts to block parliamentary life.

The Parliament returns this Monday after the winter break.

The deputies will initiate the new parliamentary session in a session where, on the agenda, only the swearing-in of the new Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhe, is highlighted as crucial.

In the Conference of Chairpersons, the Socialists alone approved the work schedule until February 8, where a series of important laws and initiatives that could not pass during 2023 are included.

The law on gambling, penal amnesty, salaries of constitutional judges, and changes to the Penal Code are just some of the issues included in the work schedule for these three weeks.

However, it remains to be seen whether they will pass under the conditions when the opposition, led by Sali Berisha and Gazment Bardhi, has announced that the disruptive action in Parliament will continue.

In this restart of the parliamentary session, special attention is also expected to be given to the debate on Electoral Reform, an issue for which Prime Minister Edi Rama has recently clashed with some opposition leaders.