Tirana, June 10 (Albania Journal) – Main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Jorida Tabaku on Wednesday renewed criticism of Albania’s Strategic Investments Law, arguing that it has benefited a small group of investors while weakening private property rights.
In a video shared on social media, Tabaku said the Democratic Party had opposed the legislation since its introduction in 2015, when it was presented as a temporary measure. She argued that the law conflicts with constitutional protections for private property.
“Today we are seeing the consequences of what is, in our view, the most corrupt law approved by parliament in the past decade,” Tabaku said. She added that proposals from the opposition aimed at strengthening property rights had repeatedly been rejected.
According to Tabaku, the legislation has been extended at least five times, transforming what was initially intended as a temporary measure into a long-term framework that grants special advantages to selected investors.
She also challenged government claims that the law has helped attract foreign investment to the country.
“The law has not delivered economic development or foreign investment. Of around 80 decisions approved by the Strategic Investments Committee, only two can be considered foreign investments,” Tabaku said.
The opposition lawmaker argued that the legislation has primarily been used to support tourism and coastal development projects. She claimed that several of these projects have generated disputes over property ownership and raised concerns about preferential treatment for a limited number of beneficiaries.
Tabaku further linked the law to recent public protests, saying it has become a symbol of wider concerns about governance, transparency and the allocation of state-backed privileges.
“It is a law that benefits a minority at the expense of the public interest,” she said.
The Albanian government has previously defended the Strategic Investments Law, saying it is designed to encourage investment and support economic development through major projects.
