By Jona Plumbi
At a time when Albania is facing a severe situation due to fires driven by extremely high temperatures, and firefighting planes from EU countries through the Civil Protection Mechanism are helping the country manage the crisis, senior officials appear to be “hiding” behind propaganda, obscuring the truth about the state’s preparedness for such emergencies.
On July 29, 2025, Minister of Defense Pirro Vëngu publicly stated, “Funds have been allocated, we have the budget, and we have also completed the procedure for purchasing two firefighting planes.” This statement came shortly after Faktoje published an article showing that the Albanian government had not yet fulfilled its promise to secure two firefighting planes for the 2025 fire season.
But how accurate is this statement?
What the Ministry of Defense says?
Following the statement, Faktoje sought further clarification through an information request. In its official response, the Ministry of Defense clarified that the aircraft in question are not firefighting planes, as Minister Vëngu claimed, but multi-role planes that will also be equipped with aerial firefighting capabilities. These aircraft are not specifically dedicated to civil emergencies or fire suppression and will have military functions as well.
Moreover, contrary to the minister’s claim that the purchase procedure was completed, the Ministry confirmed that the process is still ongoing:
“The purchase of these aircraft is currently underway, with the process progressing toward completion.”
– Ministry of Defense to Faktoje
The Ministry also did not provide details on the cost of the aircraft, nor did it disclose the delivery timeline, citing classification “for military purposes.”
A recurring story
This is not the first time the Ministry of Defense has presented these multi-role planes as a solution for fire management. In September 2024, in another response to Faktoje, the Ministry indicated that the aircraft were expected to be operational by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Thus, even a year later, neither the procedural status nor the transparency issues have changed.
For this reason, Faktoje classifies Minister Pirro Vëngu’s statement as false.
At a time when the country faces dozens of active fire sites every summer and has a limited emergency management system, greater transparency and accountability in public communication are needed, rather than statements that do not align with the facts.
Rama justifies the situation
Immediately after Faktoje.al published the article, Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted on social media, avoiding direct accountability and placing the issue in a wider context. He stressed that fires cannot be tackled with just one or two firefighting planes and noted that Albania has more aerial resources this year than ever before, thanks to support from the European Mechanism and the United Arab Emirates.
Rama drew comparisons with other countries, highlighting that Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Spain also face numerous fires despite their capacities. He underlined that preventing fire causes and strategic management are just as important as emergency response, suggesting that focusing solely on the number of planes does not provide a complete solution.
This article was updated to include Prime Minister Edi Rama’s comments on the fire situation and the government’s perspective.
