The Chair of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Disinformation, Erion Braçe, stated on Thursday that the committee he leads sent a clear political message: ‘The fight against disinformation and malicious foreign interference has become a national priority that demands special attention at the highest legislative level’.
Braçe described this as a challenge no country can face alone. Accordingly, he emphasized the need for international cooperation and the creation of new alliances.
According to Braçe, the strategic document approved by the committee, composed of majority party deputies (with the opposition absent), represents another step forward in protecting national interests and democratic stability through coordinated measures and strengthened institutional mechanisms.
Business Screening
In the development of the strategic document aimed at combating malicious foreign interference and disinformation, institutional actors and external experts participated, including Arben Malaj. During the committee meeting, Malaj stated that, beyond establishing a legal and 6institutional framework, which should be effective and not overlap, there must be a clear focus on identifying possible sources of foreign influence and suspicious funding.
Precedent
In this regard, Malaj stressed the importance of screening businesses operating in sensitive sectors such as construction and gambling.
One case he mentioned (with no name) involved an organization designated as a terrorist group by President Donald Trump, which is suspected of entering Albania through an Albanian business.
‘The most concrete case concerns accusations against a terrorist organization that entered Albania via an Albanian business, while simultaneously being declared a terrorist organization by President Trump’, said economist Arben Malaj.
According to Malaj, this precedent underscores the need for thorough checks in sectors suspected of dubious influence and unclear financial flows.
Necessity
This means going beyond merely performing automatic checks on problematic businesses, it calls for an added layer of security at a time when disinformation and foreign interference are increasingly seen as threats to democratic institutions.
‘Businesses currently operating in the gambling and construction sectors, where there is cause, because we should not accuse anyone without reason, must be screened wherever red flags are raised, so we can protect our economy from criminal money’, Malaj stated.
He reaffirmed his position that sustainable development cannot exist if criminal money is allowed to circulate.
‘In this case, it’s not just about protecting the economy, we are protecting the country’s future and the future of our children. This must be non-negotiable’, he said.
