The privileges Berisha gained by opposing his security measure

Albania’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Sali Berisha’s claims that the security measure imposed on him in October 2023—mandatory court appearances and a travel ban—was illegal. Berisha had argued that the measure required prior approval from parliament. However, the court ruled that this was unnecessary.

At the time, SPAK (Albania’s Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime) justified the measure, stating it did not infringe on Berisha’s rights as a Member of Parliament. Therefore, it did not need parliamentary approval.

Even if SPAK had sought parliament’s approval, the outcome would have remained the same. Parliament’s majority consists of Berisha’s political adversaries. His claim that SPAK’s decision was illegal is less about legal arguments and more about political maneuvering. Berisha intentionally created a pretext to challenge the security measure, ultimately leading to its replacement with house arrest.

This new measure afforded Berisha two significant advantages over the past year.

First, it allowed him to mislead the public by portraying himself as a victim. He argued that his "arrest" resulted from merely exercising his constitutional rights—an argument now discredited by the court. By presenting himself as the opposition leader under “house arrest,” Berisha positioned himself as indispensable, implying there was no alternative leader for his party. This narrative also serves as his excuse for what will likely be another electoral defeat.

Second, house arrest helped Berisha avoid a more visible political failure. Confined to his home, he spent the year giving daily speeches from his apartment window to a small group of loyal supporters. This routine gave him a platform to stay relevant and mask his inability to lead the opposition effectively. If he had been free to campaign, his shortcomings—both in reviving the opposition and protecting his family from legal scrutiny—would have been exposed. His physical inability to participate in rigorous campaigning across the country would have made his failure even more apparent.

In this sense, house arrest allowed Berisha to spend a year justifying his failures as the result of political persecution rather than personal inadequacy. Ironically, he might owe SPAK some gratitude for not seeking parliament’s approval in the first place. Without this procedural issue, he would lack a foundation for his victimhood narrative.

For now, Berisha can continue deceiving his followers, likely prolonging this rhetoric until the case reaches the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Perhaps he hopes for better luck there, given his lack of success with the Paris court.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Përfitimet e Berishës nga kundërshtimi i masës së sigurisë 'detyrim paraqitje'"