DUI Paralyzes Parliament: Higher Education Laws Fall Victim to the Badinter Battle

Blockade of Key Reforms

The political battle for supremacy and legitimacy among Albanian parties has completely paralyzed the passage of laws requiring a Badinter majority. Alongside the Law on Equitable Representation, key legislative packages for higher education remain stuck in the parliamentary labyrinth. Given the current situation, these legal solutions will not see the light of day before the summer recess, and their fate remains uncertain even until the end of this parliamentary mandate, unless the government manages to secure support from opposition MPs from non-majority communities.

The Albanian opposition parties are using this situation as a political weapon. Through the continuous blockade of laws requiring a double majority, they are trying to prove that the true legitimacy to represent Albanians lies with them, and not with the Vredi coalition.

The Government's Math Doesn't Add Up

The ruling majority openly admits that it currently lacks the necessary Badinter majority, but claims to be working intensively on attracting new MPs. Although Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski recently announced the inclusion of the Democratic Party of Turks (DPT) in the majority, counting MP Bejcan Iljas in their camp, the math is still not on their side. Even with the announced nomination of Zulfikar Zejnula as a minister, the government controls only about 15 out of a total of 39 MPs who vote according to the Badinter principle.

This weakness is skillfully exploited by the Albanian opposition. The government's attempts to maneuver by delaying the vote on the Law on Equitable Representation and rescheduling the higher education laws from the 111th to the 115th session were thwarted. DUI, the Alliance for Albanians, and the Albanian League successfully blocked these moves using procedural remarks.

Tensions and Verbal Clashes in Committees

The political outsmarting has spilled over into parliamentary committees, causing serious tensions. The debate at the Committee on Education was on the verge of an incident after the chairwoman, Ivanka Vasilevska, suspended the session due to an alleged personal insult by MP Sali Murati from the European Front.

"The MPs know nothing about what is written in the laws. Instead of three days, you gave us one hour to review the materials. This is a procedural absurdity. And again, there is no justification for the urgency of the procedure," Murati emphasized in his address.

This provoked a fierce reaction from Vasilevska, who accused Murati of disrespect and attempting to reduce her to a "technical secretary." Murati, for his part, accused the government of a series of violations of the Rules of Procedure, pointing out that during the 111th session, as many as six violations were committed, including the refusal of the President of the Assembly, Afrim Gashi, to put laws to a vote despite having a quorum.

After a short break and the calming of passions, the two MPs apologized to each other. However, Murati announced the possibility of challenging the constitutionality of the procedures and informing diplomatic missions about the developments in the legislature.