President signs education law amid cries from university rectors

TIRANA, June 13 – President Alfred Moisiu has signed into law the much-debated regulation on education, while rectors of almost all universities said they would take the case to the Constitutional Court. The law has been strongly opposed by the rectors, saying the government wants to impose its dictate, cut their independence and be able to fire any rector it does not like.
The law took a long time making its way through parliament and to the president as rectors had hoped they would find support in blocking its enactment. However, it seems they failed.Now the university rectors have declared they will pursue other legal steps, which means taking the case to the Constitutional Court. If they fail there, they have said they would take the case to Strasbourg Court. But all these steps will require a lengthy battle.
“I am obliged to declare that political conformism and pragmatism dominated over academic, legal and constitutional principles,” said an angry rector of Tirana University, Shezai Rrokaj, after the announcement of the signing of the law.