The draft law "On the Foreign Service" is discussed/ Capri: What will happen to nepotism?

2026-02-19 13:10:00, Politikë CNA

The draft law "On the Foreign Service" is discussed/ Capri: What will

During discussions in the Assembly on the draft law "On the Foreign Service", the MP of the Opportunity Party, Erald Kapri, raised concerns about this draft law and accusations of nepotism in diplomatic appointments.

Kapri said that at a time when there is talk of new recruitments in diplomacy, political and family appointments dominate in most embassies.

"You have described the draft law we have today as a reform, not a momentary intervention, although there was no time to debate the foreign service. You talk about recruitments made in Diplomacy, or even the Academy, but in every embassy, ??90% of you have nepotistic appointments. I'm not talking about your appointments only, but also previous ones. Except for a few cases, the others are not like that. Are you proud of the appointments in the Foreign Ministry with the whole situation there? Why have you appointed ambassadors, they are former SP MPs, children, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, of SP officials. I don't find a single case that you study and take to hire in the Foreign Ministry. What will happen to nepotism in the Foreign Ministry ", said Kapri in the Assembly.

The draft law was introduced by Foreign Minister Elisa Spiropali, who described the draft law as an instrument to elevate the foreign service in the context of a new geopolitical reality. Among other things, she added that the draft law is a political and institutional step to adapt the foreign service to the times in which we live.

"This law is not just about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is about Albania's role in the world. It is about our credibility as a state. It is about the country's European future. The time for a new Albanian foreign service has begun. In this new geopolitical reality, in this crucial phase of European integration and in this new moment of Albania's role in the region, we need a foreign service that is at the height of our national ambitions ," Spiropali said.

According to her, the innovations of the new law focus, among other things, on strengthening meritocracy, but also the status of Albanian diplomats.

"The law sets higher recruitment standards. It creates the Diplomatic Academy. It strengthens the economic and cultural dimension of our representation abroad. It opens doors for professionals with international experience. And it improves the status of diplomats and their families. But above all, it aims to change the culture of Albania's representation in the world. From a closed structure, to an open structure. From a procedural administration, to a strategic instrument of the state. From a reactive approach, to an approach that proposes and leads ," Spiropali declared. /CNA