Edi Rama's Bold EU Vision Amidst Controversy in Albania

In a decisive vote, Albania's parliament affirmed Prime Minister Edi Rama's fourth consecutive term, emphasizing his ambition to secure EU membership by 2030 for the Balkan nation. The decision saw Rama, standing as the sole candidate, securing 82 out of 140 parliamentary votes, with his Socialist Party retaining the majority gained in May elections.

Rama pledged to prioritize 'European Albania,' marking it as a guiding principle for all governance reforms and acknowledging the country's tarnished reputation due to corruption and criminal activities. A surprising development was the introduction of an AI bot, Diella, to oversee public tenders, aiming to curb corruption.

However, the opposition decried the move as unconstitutional, arguing that a non-human entity managing tenders could exacerbate existing issues. Critics also condemned the lack of parliamentary debate on the new government, with opposition leader Sali Berisha accusing the mandate of being founded on 'crime, corruption, and constitutional violations.'