[Albania] Prime Minister responds to Administrative Court's 51% salary increase demand

In Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama has responded to the ongoing clash over magistrates' salaries, accusing the Administrative Court of demanding not just an immediate increase in salaries, but also back payment of the difference from April 2023, Balkan Web reports.

According to President Rama, the Administrative Court's decision to secure the lawsuit is an unusual case. He stated that it does not aim to prohibit an act, but to oblige it to be carried out. 

In his reaction, posted on Twitter, the prime minister reportedly refers to a table attached to the post, which presents the current salaries and levels required for magistrates. The data shows that the gross salary of first-instance judges would increase from 336,600 to 508,200 lek, and for SPAK and GJKKO magistrates it would rise from 613,224 to 925,848 lek.

"I am sorry for the partial information about yesterday's inaction of the Administrative Court," President Rama wrote. He added that the court is not only demanding an immediate increase in salaries by 51%, but also "arrears" going back to April 2023.

In addition, he reportedly raised the question of how much each judge would benefit if these amounts were paid immediately, accusing the Minister of Finance of acting contrary to the law should he implement the decision without the Assembly's intervention.

Source: Balkan Web

(Quote via original reporting)

In Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama has responded to the ongoing clash over magistrates' salaries, accusing the Administrative Court of demanding not just an immediate increase in salaries, but also back payment of the difference from April 2023, Balkan Web reports.

According to President Rama, the Administrative Court's decision to secure the lawsuit is an unusual case. He stated that it does not aim to prohibit an act, but to oblige it to be carried out. 

In his reaction, posted on Twitter, the prime minister reportedly refers to a table attached to the post, which presents the current salaries and levels required for magistrates. The data shows that the gross salary of first-instance judges would increase from 336,600 to 508,200 lek, and for SPAK and GJKKO magistrates it would rise from 613,224 to 925,848 lek.

"I am sorry for the partial information about yesterday's inaction of the Administrative Court," President Rama wrote. He added that the court is not only demanding an immediate increase in salaries by 51%, but also "arrears" going back to April 2023.

In addition, he reportedly raised the question of how much each judge would benefit if these amounts were paid immediately, accusing the Minister of Finance of acting contrary to the law should he implement the decision without the Assembly's intervention.

Source: Balkan Web

(Quote via original reporting)