In a short speech at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Edi Rama delegated the entire control of the ministry to Deputy Minister Gent Cakaj.
Previously, Cakaj was rejected by President Ilir Meta, in part because of issues with his security clearance. As Deputy Minister, Cakaj was never cleared by the Albanian National Security Agency (DSIK), while he received the highest level of clearance in a record time of 24-hour once he was nominated by Rama.
In his speech, Rama stated:
“This is the shortest speech of my life. I, the undersigned, Edi Rama, in my function as Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, delegate to Gent Cakaj, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the task of leading the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the representation of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs inside and outside the country.”
This issue of “representation […] inside and outside the country” will be Constitutionally problematic, in the sense that despite this act of delegation, only the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs may be part of the Council of Ministers. Cakaj will thus have no forum of his own to steer the foreign policy of the Rama government, but perhaps this type of subserviency is precisely what Rama aimed for in his latest cabinet reshuffle.
Deputy Minister Cakaj, who is currently 28 years old, indeed started his speech with praising Rama’s mentorship, echoing the latter’s attacks on President Meta:
“Being leader of this key institution of the Albanian state, with delegated competences by Mr Edi Rama himself, under his inevitably close surveillance, is a most guaranteed start in front of the barrel of the gun of prejudices.”
The remainder of the speech offered no new ideas, except the continuation of the policies of former Minister Ditmir Bushati.
