The Development of Albania’s Political Party System
The Development of Albania’s Political Party System

Summary/Abstract: Albania's party system does not have any roots in the political systems in power before the take-over of the communist Party of Labour of Albania. Unlike in several East European countries (and Kosovo), but according to the general West European pattern, the main cleavage today is between "right-wing" and "left-wing" parties which corresponds to a regional cleavage between the conservative North and the progressive South. Since 1990/91 the Albanian party system has been divided between a right-of-center camp dominated by the Democratic Party of present Prime Minister Sali Berisha and a left-of-center camp rallied around the – former communist – Socialist Party. Several attempts to set up parties or groupings of parties which acted independently from these two camps had only short-lived success, if any. All parties have strong and stable leaderships, some leaders being on duty now for twenty years. The decisive factor for the formation of the Albanian party system has been the constantly changing legislation on elections. The electoral system applied in the still controversial general elections of 2009 served the interests of the two major parties and eliminated or marginalized the minor ones. It is well possible that Albania heads toward a pure two-party system which would correspond to the US model, not to the usual European pattern.

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