The Constitutional Court of Albania temporarily reinstated Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku after a lower court removed her amid criminal indictments over alleged favoritism in a 3.7-mile tunnel tender and a separate Tirana road project. SPAK filed charges on Oct. 31 and added a second charge on Nov. 21. Critics, including former ambassador Agim Nesho and ex-deputy Arben Ahmetaj, accuse Prime Minister Edi Rama of shielding allies and undermining judicial independence. The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Tirana have declined to comment on ongoing legal matters.
Albania Temporarily Reinstates Deputy PM Amid Corruption Indictments; U.S. Declines Comment
State Department stays quiet as Albania reinstates deputy prime minister accused of corruption
The U.S. State Department has declined to comment as Albania’s Constitutional Court temporarily reinstated Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku after a lower court removed her amid criminal charges. The move intensifies scrutiny of governance in a country that is a strategic U.S. partner in the Western Balkans.
The Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK) filed a criminal indictment against Balluku on Oct. 31, alleging she improperly favored a company in a tender for a 3.7-mile tunnel project in southern Albania. SPAK added a second charge on Nov. 21 tied to alleged rule violations in a road construction project in Tirana — the same day a court removed her from office. The Constitutional Court on Friday ordered Balluku reinstated pending a "final decision," according to media reports.
Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, right, and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, left, attend a news conference in the Shpirag region in Berat province, Albania, Aug. 23, 2023.
On the eve of her November hearing, Balluku told parliament the allegations were "mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies." Her case is the second high-profile corruption allegation to involve a member of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s cabinet since 2023, drawing strong criticism from the opposition.
Political Reactions and Allegations
Agim Nesho, a former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the U.N., told Fox News Digital that Balluku’s case illustrates what he sees as the Rama administration’s reluctance to allow independent judicial scrutiny. Nesho warned that efforts to influence the Constitutional Court could create a protective precedent that shields other officials.
A group of protesters gathers in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana, Albania, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama following the arrest of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj over corruption allegations Feb, 11, 2025.
"The emperor has no clothes," Nesho said, accusing the government of state capture and weak checks and balances that allow recurring corruption across multiple terms.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, who has reportedly faced SPAK scrutiny and is alleged to be on the run, has claimed that Rama "directed all key decisions on tenders, finances and public assets," according to Nesho. Rama has dismissed such insinuations and told local media that the allegations should not be taken seriously, saying "Albanian politics is not tainted by the mafia." Balkanweb reported his response.
International Implications
The controversy has reopened questions about Albania’s path to European Union accession. The U.S. has supported judicial reforms intended to curb corruption and help Albania meet EU standards, but those reforms have also contributed to legal backlogs and public frustration. Observers warn that perceived erosion of judicial independence and unresolved high-level corruption allegations could complicate both EU accession and bilateral relations with Western partners.
People gather during a demonstration held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in support of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who was under house arrest from December 2023 to November 2024 on corruption charges and is under judicial supervision by the Albanian Special Appeal Court for Corruption and Organized Crime.
Allegations tying members of the government to organized crime figures returned to public attention after Prime Minister Rama met with Luftar Hysa, who is sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury; Rama has said the meeting occurred only once. In May 2021 the State Department imposed sanctions on former Prime Minister Sali Berisha over corruption allegations, restricting his ability to travel to the United States.
U.S. Response
When asked whether the U.S. would take action similar to the 2021 measures against Berisha, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "We have no comment on ongoing legal matters." The U.S. Embassy in Tirana gave the same response when questioned about whether Balluku’s visa status might be affected.
Rama’s press office declined to comment on the broader allegations leveled by Nesho.
