Tirana — A new legal battle over judicial salaries is fuelling sharp political debate in Albania, highlighting simmering tensions between the country’s executive and judicial branches. The controversy erupted after the Union of Judges filed a formal case with the Constitutional Court, demanding the annulment of several provisions in the 2023 salary law. At the heart of their complaint is a request to increase magistrates’ monthly base salaries by approximately €700 — a move they argue would bring pay levels in line with those of top public administration officials. This marks the second time in three years that magistrates have turned to the Constitutional Court over pay disputes, raising questions about the balance of power and the independence of key institutions.
This ruling comes at a time when Albania is under increasing scrutiny from the European Union, as the country continues its accession process. One key criterion: the independence and adequate functioning of the judiciary. The judicial pay dispute also opens the door to a broader discussion on European salary standards. In Albania, judges earn approximately €14,500 annually—around 2.8 times the national average salary. While this places them above some EU nations in relative terms (such as Germany, where the ratio ranges from 1.7 to 2.3 times), they remain far below Western norms in absolute figures. Judges in Spain earn from €52,000 to €131,000, Ireland’s top judges receive about €148,000, and their UK counterparts earn between £106,000 and £312,000. At the top of the scale, judges at the European Court of Justice receive salaries nearing €256,000. Even EU member Hungary has announced a 50% raise in judicial salaries by 2027, reaching €72,000 per year. These comparisons underscore Albania’s challenge: ensuring competitive, fair salaries that preserve judicial independence without appearing excessive to a struggling public sector.
Prime Minister Edi Rama responded with unusually strong language, accusing the
judiciary of misusing its constitutional role. “This is a bitter joke. It’s an abuse of
power,” Rama said in a televised statement. “They’re turning themselves into salary commissioners — deciding how much they should be paid — with court decisions that effectively bypass parliament.” Rama pointed to a previous 2022 decision by the Constitutional Court that pegged magistrate salaries to those of high-level state officials, calling it “a serious mistake” that set a dangerous precedent. According to him, as administrative salaries were raised in 2023, judges are now demanding an automatic increase — something he sees as a constitutional overreach. “This is not just a pay dispute. It’s an attack on the equilibrium of powers in the state,” he warned.
Likewise, Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha also criticized
the judiciary — but took aim specifically at the current leadership of the justice
system. “In Albania, prosecutors are earning more than most European peers — some making €7,000 a month,” Berisha said. “And yet, justice remains as selective as ever.” He accused top officials like SPAK Chief Altin Dumani and High Court President Sokol Sadushi of turning the judiciary into a “feudal system,” where influence is traded for privileges and benefits. Berisha argued that rather than encouraging independence, high salaries have created a caste of untouchables within the justice system, deepening public mistrust.
Moreover, a former prosecutor Ervin Karanxha weighed in on the case from a legal standpoint, saying the current salary framework is murky at best. “There’s a legal contradiction at play here,” Karanxha said. “Judicial salaries are governed by specific laws, yet the Ministry of Finance tried to manage them through administrative decisions by the Council of Ministers.” He noted that Albania’s Constitution — specifically Article 138 — prohibits reductions in judges pay, and that attempts to adjust salaries outside legislative processes risk legal backlash. In a statement released on June 7, the Constitutional Court reaffirmed that its decision was based strictly on legal and constitutional principles, not political convenience. “No institution is above the Constitution,” the Court declared, while emphasizing that the judiciary must be free from both executive pressure and populist backlash. As the country navigates the fallout, the case has become emblematic of a deeper issue: the fragility of institutional autonomy in a polarized political environment. For Albania, aligning with European democratic standards may demand more than legislative reform—it requires a political culture that respects the independence of its own courts.
Therefore, all eyes are now on the Constitutional Court, which must decide whether the judges salary demands are legitimate — or an institutional overreach. Behind the scenes, the case has created uncomfortable optics: magistrates appealing to a court comprised of their own colleagues, and politicians from both camps accusing the judiciary of self-serving behaviour. As the debate rages, the ruling will likely set a precedent that extends beyond pay scales — testing the limits of judicial independence and how far the courts can go in defending their own privileges in a fragile democracy.
Written by our correspondent A.T.
