The President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, has provided further proof that signing majority decrees does not require much time. Just a few hours after the Parliament approved the law on magistrates’ salaries, the President gave his consent for its immediate entry into force and then decreed it.
The majority had voted on the law in the early hours of the morning, while Begaj did not wait for the normal procedure, paving the way for the unblocking of the salaries of judges and prosecutors.
The opposition yesterday described Begaj as “the guard of the Parliament building” and said that the decree without a public stance on the institutional clash raises questions about the way the constitutional role of the head of state is being exercised. “The Constitution has conceived the President of the Republic as a figure above the parties, with an important role in maintaining institutional balance and in dealing with constitutional crises.
Precisely for this reason, in moments of clashes between institutions, citizens expect the President to take clear positions and fully exercise the powers granted to him by the Constitution.
The Assembly’s disregard of the Constitutional Court’s decisions, if confirmed, cannot be reduced to a technical debate on judges’ salaries. Equally serious is the situation created by the delays in their financial treatment. These issues require solutions in accordance with the Constitution, not an escalation of the inter-institutional conflict.
In this situation, the enactment of the law without a public stance by the President on the institutional clash and on the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decisions raises serious questions about the way in which his constitutional role is being exercised.
The Constitution has given him a much more important role: to be above the parties and to guarantee the constitutional functioning of the state. Unfortunately, the President of the Republic is no longer perceived as an arbiter and guarantor of constitutional balance, but as an institution that simply formalizes the decision-making of the majority. The institution of the President is not the Treasury Director nor the guard of the Parliament building. Bajram Begaj is”, writes Bardhi.
Rama’s Seduction
But the latest firm is not the biggest story. It simply opens once again a file that goes back in time, to Bajram Begaj’s wealth and the way it has magically increased. The declarations made public over the years include several assets, including a 166 square meter apartment with a garage in Tirana, another apartment of about 100-107 square meters, part of a 270 square meter building in Llogara, 1500 square meter land in Lundër, a shop in Kashar, etc. Bank accounts, investments and various incomes have also been declared. This list also includes the apartment in Tirana that has become the subject of public debate. The declarations of assets state that the property was purchased by his parents in 1999 for 2.5 million lekë and was then given to Begaj at a symbolic price. It is precisely this asset, along with the way it was declared, that was later used in public denunciations against the President. Lawyer Arben Llangozi has raised allegations of concealment of assets and has requested that these issues be verified by competent institutions.
Three rested
Subsequently, the name of the Begaj family has also been linked to other claims about wealth. In December 2025, lawyer Llangozi publicly raised the claim that three villas were being built in the “Barka Resort” area that allegedly belonged to the President’s family, two for his sons and one for personal use. According to the claim made public, the construction was being carried out in the space where a basketball court was planned. And it is here that the story of wealth joins the political relationship that has generated debate about Bajram Begaj for years. Because while denunciations and questions have been raised about wealth, another model has been created in the Presidency: when the majority needs a signature, Begaj has rarely delayed it. Yesterday this was seen again.
This is not the first time Begaj has done this.
This course of action has not only appeared today. In May 2023, the Assembly asked Begaj to decree the law on increasing the salaries of deputies and senior officials through an urgent procedure. The President signed it, even requesting that the document be sent to him for signature in the morning as he would later travel to Germany. The Presidency had responded to the decree before the vote had ended.
Decree on Tirana
Begaj acted similarly when Edi Rama had to play the game of early elections in Tirana after he received a constitutionally recognized power to dismiss Erion Veliaj. The decree of early elections in Tirana, for November 9, 2025, was made by the president in violation of Article 115 of the fundamental law of the state, which suspends the process in cases where the dismissed mayor appeals to the constitutional court. The latter’s subsequent decision showed that Begaj’s decree was wrong.
Silence on protests
Meanwhile, the country has been in protests for over three months, and Begaj has not spoken about the situation. The protests have received international attention and have even produced resolutions from the European Parliament. Even in this case, the President has chosen not to publicly clash with the government. Therefore, the latest development is not a separate story. It is the final chapter in a series of episodes that have been accumulating for years that seal the fact that Begaj is a loyal “soldier” of Edi Rama.