High Inspector of Justice Mr. Artur Metani participated in the meeting organized by the National Council for European Integration (NCEI) on the topic “What is expected from Albania during the negotiation process with the European Union?”, where the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement in the European Commission, Mr. Olivér Várhelyi, leaders of independent institutions and representatives of civil society in the country were present.
Taking the floor at the meeting, Mr. Metani highlighted the efforts for the independence of the judicial system and the healthy democracy in the country.
“The fight against corruption in and for the independence of the judiciary is not a final destination, but it is an everyday effort of all of us, not only of the structure that works to make functional the system of the constitutional and democratic control of the work of the judges and prosecutors. But, more than this, it is required a democratic environment, so that the judicial system and the justice institutions are fully functional. Definitely there can be no democracy without independence of the judiciary as well as no independence of the judiciary without democracy, and the cultivation of democracy in a society like this – a polarized society if I may say so, the only long-term solution I think, is to discuss and search for solutions for the issues that arise at a certain moment. This should be a non-emotional discussion, not based on the debate of the moment, but on long-term solutions which are in accordance with the constitution and in particular with those values which you discuss with Albania.” said Mr. Metani.
The full speech of the High Inspector of Justice:
Thank you, Mr. Balla!
Mr. Várhelyi, welcome to Albania.
It is my pleasure to be part of this table, even though I may have some doubts whether the High Inspector of Justice or even the institutions of justice should be part of processes or tables like this one, yet I still consider it a personal pleasure, because being part of this important process for the future of the country is also a professional satisfaction, as you are part of an environment where you can exchange opinions and have discussions on the values which we are fighting for. We exchange viewpoints with colleagues or representatives of structures of the European Union, from which we undoubtedly expect to exchange opinions on the values on which this reform is being built or even Albania’s progress in this process.
Second, this is obviously not the place to talk about what has been done well or could have been done better by our structures, or by me personally, but in my view the fight against corruption in and for the independence of the judiciary is not a final destination, but it is an everyday effort of all of us, not only of the structure that works to make functional the system of the constitutional and democratic control of the work of the judges and prosecutors. But, more than this, it is required a democratic environment, so that the judicial system and the justice institutions are fully functional. Definitely there can be no democracy without independence of the judiciary as well as no independence of the judiciary without democracy, and the cultivation of democracy in a society like this – a polarized society if I may say so, the only long-term solution I think, is to discuss and search for solutions for the issues that arise at a certain moment. This should be a non-emotional discussion, not based on the debate of the moment, but on long-term solutions which are in accordance with the constitution and in particular with those values which you discuss with Albania and the EU structures are negotiating with Albania. This is what I consider important so as to make the reform functional, beyond the obligations we have and we must commit to doing even more in this direction. However, I still think that the efforts of one institution or even five institutions would not be enough, if the importance of this reform was not understood by everyone, including the participants at the table and also by others beyond it.
Thank you!
