Systemic change sought to stamp out corruption

Prime minister calls Albania’s justice system ‘a national shame,’ as he vows action to fight graft and change attitudes toward corruption.
TIRANA, Sept. 23 – Fighting corruption is the only way for Albania to make progress toward European integration, Prime Minister Edi Rama has told an international conference in Tirana, adding meetings and strategies are no substitute for direction action.
Rama has added that to stamp out corruption, systemic societal change would be needed.
The prime minister has made fighting corruption a top priority in his year-old four-year mandate, sending tens of cases of public officials accused of corruption to prosecutors, but no high-profile charges have been filed yet, and charges of lesser officials are still being processed.
Rama has largely blamed the justice system, calling it a “national shame.”
Speaking at the conference organized by the George C. Marshall Center and the Defense Ministry, Rama said the justice system must be reformed to properly fight corruption.
“We have the most corrupt justice [system] in Europe. We have a justice system that is a national shame,” he said.
No judge has ever been sent to the court for the violations of the law, he noted.
The prime minister added his government has pledged for a deep justice reform and said they have already started work on it.
He faces concerns by the main opposition Democratic Party that say the government is trying to pressure the justice system into serving as a political tool.
Rama said the accusations were not true, and said the opposition is invited to participate in the reforms.
“The government is not the only force that takes ahead the justice reform,” he said. “Reform in the justice system is much more complex than just the inclusion of the government, the government’s vision or will.”
He said, nevertheless they will lead such a reform through the parliamentary majority the Socialist-led coalition enjoys.
“Our parliamentary majority will take the proper decisions to overcome such a big gap that separates us from the countries where justice is right and also to leave as soon as possible the position of a country where ‘justice’ has lost its meaning as a word.”
Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu who also spoke at the conference said it was important that the fight against corruption should not be seen as a political tool.
George Kent, a U.S. Department of State Special Coordinator for Anti-Corruption, said at the event that the fight against corruption was a regional and global one, but that the way countries responded to it made the difference from success stories to failures.
“Corruption takes different forms in different countries. In all cases, it will require a network of diverse stakeholdersנgovernments, business communities, academics, civil society, the mediaנworking together to tackle country-specific issues with common approaches, and to restore trust in government,” he said. “Just as transparent governance and effective justice sectors are two essential elements to battling corruption, effective law enforcement tools to counter corrupt acts and money laundering are equally important.”
Prime Minister Rama added that societal change was needed, as corruption shows itself in Albanians’ daily life.
“Where there is free and transparent competition, real meritocracy, and qualitative services there is less corruption,” he said, adding the war on corruption starts with bribes paid to police, hospital workers and mortgage officials. “It is unimaginable to see an Albanian in Germany streets driving without the seat belt, but I have seen Germans in Albania without the seat belt.”
The system must change, he said.
“The fight against corruption in its essence, in my viewpoint, is: modernization, modernization, modernization. It is the installation of a state which does not have corruption as a competitor or as an option,” Rama said.
Corruption remains post-communist Albania’s Achilles’ heel, one shortcoming, weakness that is always mentioned in all reports of the international institutions.