The People's Advocate, Naim Qelaj, has warned of the deterioration of public discourse in the country, criticizing the language recently used by public figures and holders of institutional positions. According to him, this language conflicts with democratic standards and the principles of the Constitution.
"Public discourse should be more tolerant and not violate the dignity of others. It is a problem to place the blame on one side, because all sides have exponents who use this kind of language," Qelaj said on KTV's "60 Minutes."
He emphasized that social networks have significantly influenced the increase in hate speech, indicating that from a research conducted in 2024, "every eighth comment contains hate speech."
Qelaj also spoke about the complaints of the Serbian community in the northern municipalities, saying that during the mandate of the Albanian mayors, several complaints have been filed, from expropriation issues, requests for the demolition of houses, to difficulties in obtaining personal documents.
"We have received complaints of various natures, we have handled them and addressed them. Some have received solutions, some we have prevented from violating the rights of the community there. We have had normal communication with the mayors whose mandates have ended, and I believe that cooperation will now continue with the Serbian mayors as well," he announced.
The Ombudsman added that institutions should not be guided by political positions, but by human rights standards, responding to former minister Albulena Haxhiu, who criticized this institution for its stance that the Serbian List should be certified.
"The Ombudsman bases his positions on expertise and standards related to human rights. I do not engage in political statements. Our legal and constitutional system does not allow for political exceptions or politicized decisions related to electoral representation," he added.
Qelaj assessed that the country is facing an institutional vacuum, highlighting the slowdown in the drafting of laws and the lack of long-term governance plans.
"The lack of institutions has brought stagnation in all areas. Attention has been lost to the basic elements that citizens need, because everyone is busy with the political race," he said.
Finally, he expressed concern about the lack of parliamentary debate regarding human rights, which according to him shows institutional inattention to the problems that citizens face in realizing their rights.