Amid unrest stemming from student protests, Prime Minister Edi Rama has asked ministers to initiate a process to remove the heads of institutions under their respective ministries. The head of government contacted the ministers from Budva, asking them to summon the relevant directors and request their irrevocable resignation, especially for those who have shown incompetence and for whom the public holds a negative opinion. The government, through its polling mechanisms, has reportedly screened almost all directorates in Tirana and in the regions, through inspections, but mainly based on public perception of them in the areas where they operate. All leaders for whom the public has expressed a negative opinion are slated for dismissal, regardless of what positions they hold in the Socialist Party (PS). It has also been reported that mayors across the country have been instructed to remove directors or sector heads who have not dealt with citizens properly.
The reported decision comes at a time when the government is facing protests in Tirana, while Prime Minister Rama is expected to make a public statement in the coming days to outline the next steps. It is still unclear whether this initiative aims to ease tensions and public dissatisfaction, or whether it is linked to a broader political reorganization.
Rama has repeatedly criticized the state administration, particularly for delays in handling citizens’ requests and for failing to respect legal deadlines. Just a week ago, Rama warned of measures against heads and employees responsible for these violations, stressing that every delay must be accompanied by concrete accountability.
“When you delay and miss the deadline, you must bear your own cost, and we will do this with the Mirror Law, in which we will establish that every deadline violation must have a responsible person, and the responsible person must bear the cost”, Rama stated.