New Honorary Titles Proposed

27 June 2022 – Tirana News Digest. The Government of Albania proposed a new law regulating the award of honorary titles and medals in the country, following debates on the quantities and qualities of those awarded by the ongoing President Ilir Meta. The main change in the law consist on creating a committee with 9 members, mostly appointed by the Prime Minister, who will evaluate the proposals for medals and tittles coming from a variety of institutions. The President will retain the right to award a limited number of medals, while 90% of the proposals must be controlled first by the committee.

The ongoing President Ilir Meta awarded scores of medals to a variety of citizens in what observers believed was an overuse of one of the few tools for politics allowed to the president, which is currently a mostly honorary position in the country. The main political powers granted to the President of Albania by the 1998 Constitution were related to appointment and dismissal of judges and prosecutors. These powers were transferred to other institutions following the flagship Justice Reform. [Read more: Link in Albanian.]