Ironically, the DP now champions justice influenced by the U.S., EU, and their protests

I must apologize for quoting the Democratic Party’s Secretary General, Flamur Noka, as though he weren’t spouting nonsense, but there’s no avoiding it—he has effectively been acting as the party’s leader. During today’s ceremony for Albania’s national day, Noka presented three questionable reasons for the Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime’s decision to lift Sali Berisha’s house arrest.

According to Noka, the first reason is Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election; the second is a resolution by the European People’s Party (EPP), which, notably, does not endorse Berisha’s release; and the third is the opposition’s civil disobedience.

None of these reasons, however, explain why Berisha was released. Yet they do provide insight into how the Democratic Party (DP) wants the justice system to function.

Noka’s first reason—Trump’s election victory—sheds light on the DP’s apparent shift in perspective. If we follow Noka’s logic, the DP now sees Albania’s justice system as something that should be influenced by U.S. politics, specifically under a Trump administration. Ironically, Berisha’s designation as non-grata in the U.S. also began under Trump. At the time, Berisha accused Trump’s special envoy for the Balkans, Matthew Palmer, of being biased toward Serbia due to Palmer’s Serbian wife. The irony deepens when considering that Berisha’s own wife is Serbian, and her mother was a certified agent of Yugoslavia’s infamous UDB secret service.

If we accept Noka’s reasoning, it seems we should now stop hearing complaints about Albania’s justice system being controlled by George Soros. Instead, per Noka, the system is under Trump’s influence. Berisha’s daughter, echoing Noka’s rhetoric, has made similar remarks, suggesting that this line of thinking is consistent within their circle.

The second reason cited by Noka—the EPP resolution—is equally flimsy. The resolution does not call for Berisha’s release, but let’s indulge Noka’s claim for argument’s sake. If the DP truly believes Albania’s justice system should take cues from EPP resolutions, this would mark a significant shift. It implies the DP would accept EU influence over judicial matters, including Berisha’s legal troubles. While this notion is almost comical, it could be seen as progress if the DP commits to supporting European decisions, even those unfavorable to Berisha.

Noka’s third claim is that Berisha’s release was due to the opposition’s protests. This reasoning is not only far-fetched but contradicts the DP’s earlier arguments, which oppose external pressure on the justice system. If the DP genuinely believes protests can secure releases, they should test this theory more broadly.

The DP’s narrative would be far more convincing if it simply argued that Berisha was released because he is innocent. Such a stance would put political opponents on the defensive. However, the DP seems to avoid this line of reasoning, possibly because even they anticipate Berisha’s eventual conviction. Instead, they link his political future to Trump’s presidency, EU resolutions, and street protests—a strategy that feels more like wishful thinking than a coherent plan.

As observers, we can only wish the DP good luck in their efforts to align Albanian justice with their chosen narratives. When Berisha does eventually face legal consequences, as seems likely, they’ll have to grapple with the reality that their current arguments offer little substance. In the meantime, their faith in Trump, the EPP, and protests remains an intriguing—if baffling—approach.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Më në fund, PD e do drejtësinë të varur nga SHBA, BE dhe… mosbindja civile"