Tirana, October 20 (Albania Journal) – The Socialist Party of Albania (PS) convened its parliamentary group on Tuesday, with parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla addressing the ongoing student protests and calling for dialogue between the government and students.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Balla stressed that students deserved to have their concerns heard and said the time had come to introduce a new package of reforms for universities.
“The prime minister has offered the table, or let’s say the platform for dialogue, where I think this is the right moment to sit down with the students,” Balla said.
“Students, as I said, deserve to be heard. The time to have Package 2.0 for the university is now,” he added.
Balla also announced that Parliament would vote on Thursday on an agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany and KfW, the German development bank, aimed at increasing investment in student dormitories.
Referring to damage caused during the protests, he said the destruction of public infrastructure and private businesses represented a significant loss of resources.
“Let us not forget that all this damage caused so far to boulevards or businesses goes beyond an investment that would have been needed to build the new university campus,” Balla said.
Socialist Party Urges Parliament to Resume Work
Balla said the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group had discussed the need to resume parliamentary proceedings immediately, citing the legislative agenda linked to Albania’s European Union accession negotiations.
He explained that Parliament needed to approve several laws that had been carried over from the previous session, warning that delays could affect the country’s commitments under the EU accession process.
“One week lost from last week, so to speak, costs us a lot with the calendar we have. So, on Thursday, I think there are three or four laws that were carried over from the previous session to this session, and the deadline is approaching. The end of this month is the final deadline for these laws to be passed. They have received the green light from the European Commission, meaning they are fully in line with Albania’s obligations during the European Union accession process and related conditions,” he said.
Balla Renews Call for Dialogue
The Socialist Party parliamentary group leader reiterated his appeal for dialogue, saying arrangements had already been made for discussions with student representatives.
“My appeal to everyone is, first of all, for dialogue. The chairs have been set, everything is ready. The students must choose their representatives, and the prime minister, together with the education minister or other ministers, should take part. We must sit down,” Balla said.
He also stated that the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group condemned acts of violence during the protests.
