On Thursday, the Constitutional Court in Albania is expected to rule on the legality of the laws warranting the demolition of the National Theater, and thus on the actual demolition. Civil society activist and lawyer Adriana Kalaja made the announcement to media following Tuesday’s hearing.
The Court has been reviewing the case since Tuesday by administering all evidence submitted by the parties and hearing their arguments.
President Ilir Meta filed two cases with the court. In the first case, filed in July 2019, the President demanded the abrogation of the special law on the National Theater. The law stipulated that the theater can be demolished to open the way for a new theater to be built by private companies, who would also be allowed to develop the surrounding area.
The approved law designated Fusha shpk, a private company close to the government, as the builder of the new theater. Following the president’s veto on the law for violating Albania’s Association and Stabilization Agreement with the EU and free competition, the parliament amended it by removing the name of Fusha shpk.
The second case will examine if the government’s decision to transfer ownership of the theater’s land from the government to the Municipality of Tirana—thus opening the way for its development by private companies—violates the Albanian constitution.
The government demolished the National Theater in the early morning hours of May 17, 2020, as the country was still under coronavirus lockdown, and despite the fact that the case was still awaiting review with the court. The demolition came after two years of sustained protests and occupation of the building by artists and civil society activists, who opposed its replacement with high-rise towers and a new theater built by private companies.
Bledar Dervishaj, legal advisor to the Albanian President, warned on Wednesday that the municipality and government cannot proceed with construction works in the area of the demolished theater until the court issues its verdict.
The president still maintains that the amended law remains tailored for certain companies and violates Albania’s constitution, and its obligations towards the EU.
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