Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted sharply to the statements of the judge of the Special Court of Appeal, Engert Pëllumbi, also the head of the Judges' Association, regarding the debate on increasing judges' salaries.
In an interview on the show "Kjo Javë" with Nisida Tufa, Pëllumbi said that the problem is not related to a lack of money, but to a political decision-making by the government. According to him, the funds needed to increase salaries do not constitute a major burden on the budget.
"That's how much money the GJKKO confiscates from organized crime every year. It's not a big burden, not to mention the money the executive wastes in connection with tenders," Pëllumbi declared.
It was this statement that brought Rama's reaction. In a post on the X platform, the prime minister said that money confiscated by the justice system cannot be considered money belonging to the justice system.
"No, a judge can never speak like that!" Rama wrote.
No, a judge can never speak like that!
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) September 14, 2026
The history of the world has never seen judges say we will take the money ourselves from the state treasury because it is ours and this "we collected it ourselves" is a separate offense due to the terrifying level of ignorance about the functioning of… pic.twitter.com/rZL1SkrzwX
He considered unacceptable the idea of judges asking for more money with the argument that the justice system provides it through confiscations.
"The history of the world has never seen judges say we will take the money ourselves from the state treasury because it is ours, and this 'we collected it ourselves' is a separate offense due to the terrifying level of ignorance about the functioning of the state."
Rama compared this argument to the hypothetical case of tax, customs or police employees, who collect revenue or impose fines, but cannot claim that this money belongs to them.
"Let's imagine if customs and tax officials, police and inspectors were to show up and say we want the money we ourselves have collected in the state treasury from taxes and fines!", the prime minister wrote.
According to Rama, if such logic were followed, the question would immediately arise as to what would be left for other employees who are paid from the state budget.
"What then remains for the teachers, doctors, military personnel and countless others who serve thousands of state duties, for which they are paid by the treasury?"
The Prime Minister then brought up the difference between salaries. According to his calculation, if the judges' request for a salary increase were accepted in its current form, a judge at the beginning of his career would receive a much higher salary than other categories of public administration.
"And if this increase, requested without law, is accepted as a fait accompli, it is expected that compared to a teacher, a doctor, a military officer, a starting judge will receive 3.8 times more or a 280% higher salary. You can't even imagine how much more the others above him get," Rama wrote.
