Albanian court overturns MPs' vote to dismiss the president

Albania's top court has overturned parliament's vote to dismiss the Balkan country's president Ilir Meta for siding with the opposition during last year's election campaign.

The Constitutional court said on Thursday that Meta's actions did not amount to a "grave violation" of the constitution, but failed to elaborate further.

The decision allows the president to remain in office and cannot be appealed.

Last June, Albanian MPs voted to dismiss the president after a parliamentary commission concluded that he had incited bias, triggered political instability and failed to fulfil his constitutional duty of maintaining national unity.

The bitter election campaign saw Meta repeatedly clash with socialist prime minister Edi Rama, accusing him of being authoritarian and corrupt.

The president also vowed to walk away from the largely ceremonial post if the socialists won the vote -- which they did.

After 104 out of 121 sitting MPs voted for Meta's dismissal last year, the 52-year-old laughed off the decision by calling it "ridiculous". He remained in office awaiting the final verdict from the constitutional court.

A former prime minister and member of the Socialists, Meta formed his own party in 2004.

He was chosen by the Socialist-dominated parliament to serve as president in 2017, but relations soured dramatically since then.