The Constitutional Court of Albanian found that President Ilir Meta’s statements and actions during the 2021 electoral campaign did not violate any laws.
One month after rejecting the Parliament’s request to dismiss Meta, the Court released its full opinion on Tuesday.
In a historical first, the Albanian Parliament dismissed President Ilir Meta last June for “serious violations” of the Constitution, arguing that he had breached his constitutional duties.
In the Parliament’s report, Socialist MPs alleged that he had violated the unity of the people and endangered public security by attacking the Socialist Party and the government during the electoral campaign, incited violence, and attacked foreign diplomats.
The report also argued that Meta had violated pre-election silence by sending public messages that denigrated the Prime Minister’s Office, state institutions, as well as foreign representatives in Albania.
The Constitutional Court struck down all claims, claiming that it did not find evidence that the President had endangered public security, nor used his power to coerce state institutions into actions that would imperil Albanian people.
With regards to the President’s statements, the Court argued that “how a President exercises his or her functions depends also on the personality and individuality of the President and how he or she understands, interprets, and chooses to exercise his or her functions.”
Ultimately, the Court found that the President is allowed to play an active role in the political and social life of the country and such actions are not prohibited by the Constitution.