The “Vredi” coalition has accused the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) of failing to implement meaningful measures to ensure fair and adequate representation and dignity for citizens during its two decades in power. According to “Vredi,” DUI has instead perpetuated a manipulative system through the “Balancer” mechanism, using it to control administration and deceive citizens with empty promises.

“Vredi” asserts that DUI’s promises of legal reforms were merely campaign rhetoric and were never implemented. Specifically, they point to the 2020-2024 campaign, where DUI pledged a final solution for fair representation as part of their “Time for the first Albanian Prime Minister” initiative. This included promises to amend laws related to administrative servants, public sector employees, citizenship certificates, and birth certificates.

Despite these promises, “Vredi” claims that DUI continued its deceptive tactics in the “European Front – Europe 2030” program, suggesting improvements to the “Balancer” mechanism even though its failures were evident.

The Public Administration Reform Strategy 2023-2030, approved by the government, which included DUI, highlighted the “Balancer” as a source of abuse, inequality, and corruption. The strategy emphasized that the “Balancer” had become a tool for party-driven employment rather than ensuring fair ethnic representation. It called for objective criteria, open competition, and professional administration to shield against political influence.

The European Commission’s screening report for Cluster 1 (Fundamental Values) also criticized the “Balancer” mechanism, stating that it no longer meets its objectives and does not reflect current population census data.

“Vredi” emphasizes that DUI failed to fulfill its obligations and continued to misuse the “Balancer” for party gains without implementing necessary legal reforms during the 2020-2024 period.

“Vredi” highlights that the newly introduced Law on Fair and Adequate Representation marks a historical step towards fulfilling a key aspect of the Ohrid Agreement. This law aims to establish legally guaranteed representation with clear executive mechanisms and concrete implementation deadlines.

“Vredi” states that with the new law fair representation will become an integral part of the constitutional and executive order of the state, rather than remaining an election slogan.