Prime Minister Edi Rama has sharply criticized the growing dispute over judicial salaries, describing the atmosphere surrounding the issue as “extremely troubling” and accusing the country’s independent judiciary of crossing the line from independence into irresponsibility.

In a lengthy statement posted on social media, Rama said the dispute stemmed from what he described as an arbitrary decision by judicial governing bodies to seek higher salaries and instruct the State Treasury to implement the changes.

Rama argued that judicial independence, while essential to Albania’s justice reform, must also be accompanied by accountability and respect for institutional procedures.

He criticized what he called an increasingly confrontational relationship between Albania’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, saying disagreements should be addressed through dialogue rather than unilateral decisions.

“Independence has brought many benefits, but it has also created the major challenge of sliding into irresponsibility,” Rama said, while stressing that he did not want to enter more deeply into the broader issue.

The prime minister questioned why judicial bodies had not first sought discussions with the government over the implementation of a Constitutional Court ruling concerning judicial pay.

Rama said the government remains committed to respecting the Constitutional Court’s decision and pledged to follow what he described as the appropriate legal route for addressing the salary demands.

However, he warned that no independent institution should attempt to pressure or “threaten” other constitutional authorities, including the executive and legislative branches.

The dispute comes amid a wider debate in Albania over judicial salaries, institutional independence and the balance of powers following the country’s sweeping justice reform.