EU Concerned About Albania’s Lustration Law

TIRANA, Jan 28 – The European Union is to formally explain its stand on Albania’s lustration law during a formal meeting in the near future.
That was made known in a statement from the Czech embassy, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency during the first half of the year.
“The European Union attaches great importance to political dialogue across the political spectrum. This is of central importance among the political criteria for EU accession. Similarly, we attach great importance to a well-functioning and politically independent judiciary. The new law on lustration gives rise to concern with regard to certain aspects on both procedure and substance. In this context, the European Union will be meeting with the government to set out the EU position,” said the statement.
The law was approved only by the governing Democratic Party-led coalition and opposed by the opposition, saying that it was prepared only to serve the interests of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and other cabinet members threatened by scandals and who aim to remove from their posts some prosecutors and judges involved in their cases.