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The state of Albanian Democracy at the eve of 2013 General elections

Author(s): Alba Çela,Joana Kosho / Language(s): English

Keywords: 2013 Elections in Albania; The Central Elections Commission (CEC)

The upcoming round of Albanian general elections, expected on June 23rd of 2013, will be the ultimate test for Albanian democracy, in a context of high polarization and volatile stability. The elections come after a series of previous electoral processes highly contested and which have produced political crisis, boycott and grave incidents. Should Albania fail once again to carry out democratic elections’ process with standards verified by international observers and outcomes accepted by domestic political actors, the consequences shall be all too weighty for a country that is a member of NATO and aspires to get to EU candidate status. // First and foremost the elections will be crucial for the political stability which is a precondition for the development of Albania. // This study, which goes beyond an academic curiosity has two important objectives. First it strives to show the degree of correspondence between political and media rhetoric and the real citizen agenda mapped in this survey as a constellation of concerns, expectations, beliefs and desires. Second it attempts to make political parties and political actors aware of the degree of this correspondence or rather as this study will show discrepancy. AIIS believes that instigating public discourse over the real citizen agenda will have a positive effect on a better linkage between citizen interests and political platforms contributing to democracy and to future better governance.

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Albania-Serbia relations in the Eyes of the Albanian Public 2015

Author(s): Alba Çela / Language(s): English

Keywords: Albania- Serbia Relations; Balkan; Political Relations; Survey; Bilateral Relations

Albania and Serbia share a difficult historic baggage. The dissolution of Yugoslavia and conflict in Kosovo and the subsequent independence of Kosova have been a powerful rollercoaster for the two countries which claim to be home-seat to the largest ethnic groups in the Balkans. However even between Serbia and Kosova some signs of normalization due to the EU sponsored dialogue are starting to materialize beyond symbolical handshakes and right into important bilateral deals. // The results of the survey which you can access in this publication portray a lot of positive potential for improvement of the bilateral relations more likely starting with the ‘easy parts’: cultural cooperation and getting to know more about each other. Most important citizens seem fully aware of the importance that these relations have for the future of the entire region as well as for the European integration project that the region also shares.

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Citizens’ Voice in the Albanian Local Elections 2015

Author(s): Sashenka Lleshaj / Language(s): English

Keywords: Local Elections; Administrative Reform; Local Government

Pre-election periods are delicate on the one side and resourceful on the other in terms of the insights that can come out from a snapshot of citizens’ views and perceptions. This survey was conducted in the pre-campaign period in order to avoid the distorted perceptions that can come out as a result of the conflicting waves of information that electoral campaigns reflect on citizens. Nevertheless, this survey still wants to map some important views, perceptions and concerns that citizens expressed in the eve of these local elections 2015.

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The necessary return of ideology: Political parties and ideological profile in Albania

Author(s): Enfrid Islami / Language(s): English

Keywords: Albanian Political Parties; Albanian Communist Party; The National Front; Elections

The life of political parties in Albania is a relatively short one compared to other countries in the region. The country only recently celebrated its 100th anniversary of independence. In reality, the country has enjoyed democracy and independence for a far shorter amount of time. The declaration of independence in Vlora in 1912 was followed by internal conflict between different regional groups, foreign invasion, and a constant state of turmoil in which political activity was practically impossible. Even before the declaration of independence, the Albanian political class had shown a high level of inefficiency and unwillingness to come together in the common effort to push forward the issues of Albanian national identity and unity. The series of conflicts which followed the declaration of independence in 1912, including two world wars, resulted in a very hostile environment for political life to flourish in Albania. It took a long time for the country to take full control of its territory and national sovereignty, a must for the development of political parties and organizations.The long period of communist rule that followed from the end of the Second World War, established the tradition of a one party system. For almost 50 years, every political activity except for the ruling Communist Party was illegal, and thus the establishment of a proper multiparty system in the country had to be postponed till after 1991. // This paper will introduce the reader with a short background of political parties in Albania, while focusing on the period after 1991, with the emergence of the multiparty system in the country. The paper aims at providing readers with a profile of the political parties in Albania during the 2013 electoral campaign, the hot issues discussed during the campaign, as well as the position of the main parties on each of these issues. This paper also aims at emphasizing the role of ideology in Albanian politics at the moment, as well as analyzes the evolution of ideology into an important mechanism for Albanian political parties during electoral campaigns throughout the years.

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Albania in the next ten years – Politics, Economy, Society - Perceptions

Author(s): Maklen Misha / Language(s): English

Keywords: Western Balkans; European Union; Governance; Democracy

Albania in the Next Ten Years marks the conclusion of a twostage project entitled Twenty Years After: Rethinking Democracy and the State in Albania. The aim of the project was to gauge the perceptions of the Albanian public on the period in Albanian history commonly referred to as the ‘transition,’ as well as to understand Albanians’ expectations about the future. The data gathered by this project constitutes a valuable addition to the rich body of data gathered over the years by the Albanian Institute for International Studies through a considerable number of surveys that have, for the most part, focused on the issues of Euro-Atlantic integration, state and institution building, the implementation of democratic standards, and, to a lesser extent, on social issues and the economy. This project is distinct because it is the first attempt to offer an overview of not only the way in which the Albanian public has experienced the post-Communist transition, but also the way in which this experience has shaped their expectations for the future. // The next decade will show whether Albania decides to complete the transition process, or to remain tangled up in the limbo of a hybrid regime. Whereas last year we answered the question “What is Albania like twenty year after the collapse of the communist regime?” this year we try to answer the question “What do Albanians expect for their country in the next ten years?” And as one can expect, given the confusing nature of developments in Albania, the responses given to the survey also show a level of confusion, a combination between pessimism and optimism, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, that would have been hard to understand without taking into account the rollercoaster that has been the last years of life in Albania.

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Albania and NATO. Why we do need NATO?

Author(s): Maklen Misha / Language(s): English

Keywords: NATO; NATO membership; NATO integration

Few issues interest the Albanians more than their country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. However, while accession to the EU must for the moment, remains a distant dream, in recent months expectations have been raised that Albania might receive an invitation to join NATO in the Summit of Bucharest due in April 2008. Several ministers have made declarations to that effect and the media has been quite active in discussing the possibility, too. If this indeed proves to be the case, it would be hard to explain the sense of accomplishment Albanians would feel at the realization of their dream. // Because of the proximity of the Summit of Bucharest and the expectations that prevail in Albania concerning its possible invitation to join NATO in July 2007, AIIS decided to conduct a survey with four elite groups of the Albanian society. These groups are involved in the integration process more actively and directly than the ordinary Albanians are. The rationale behind the choice of target groups was based on the belief that these groups because of their position in society and their ability to influence decision-making. Therefore, it is interesting to ascertain the level of expertise that they possess on the NATO integration process. Because these groups, by their very nature, play a primary role in shaping the attitudes and beliefs of the public as a whole, by shaping attitudes one can also expect to gain a sense of what the public as a whole thinks of these issues.

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Series:Policy Papers on Albania

The state of Albanian Democracy at the eve of 2013 General elections

The state of Albanian Democracy at the eve of 2013 General elections

Albania-Serbia relations in the Eyes of the Albanian Public 2015

Albania-Serbia relations in the Eyes of the Albanian Public 2015

Citizens’ Voice in the Albanian Local Elections 2015

Citizens’ Voice in the Albanian Local Elections 2015

The necessary return of ideology: Political parties and ideological profile in Albania

The necessary return of ideology: Political parties and ideological profile in Albania

Albania in the next ten years – Politics, Economy, Society - Perceptions

Albania in the next ten years – Politics, Economy, Society - Perceptions

Albania and NATO. Why we do need NATO?

Albania and NATO. Why we do need NATO?