In October, Albania opened Cluster 1, consisting of five negotiating chapters, with the European Union, joining Montenegro and Serbia as the third Western Balkan candidate country to open negotiating chapters. It formally opened accession talks together with North Macedonia in July 2022.
The Council of the European Union, currently presided over by Hungary, adopted the European Union Common Position, laying out the conditions Albania is required to meet in the areas covered by Cluster 1, while the European Commission recognised some achievements that Albania made in the area of the fight against corruption.
In the latest EC Report on Albania, this country is between having some level of preparation and a moderate level of preparation – corresponding to grade 2,5 on a scale from 1 to 5 – and has shown some progress in the fight against corruption. The report assessed that implementation of the vetting process had a positive impact on the fight against corruption in the judiciary. According to the European Commission, the end of vetting of all judges and prosecutors is imminent at first instance with 794 cases closed out of 805.
The Specialised Structure for Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) has continued to produce good results by further advancing the prosecution and investigation of complex anti-corruption cases, including those involving high-level politicians and officials, as well as cases involving the protection of EU financial interests, European Commission stated.
Zef Preci, Executive Director of the Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER), assess that it is a well-known fact that in Albania, as well as in other countries of the Western Balkans, there has been a significant increase in attention to the fight against corruption in recent years, with corruption identified as one of the main causes of the country’s economic stagnation and political instability.
He assesses that the European Commission’s report offers a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of Albania’s anti-corruption efforts, presenting a nuanced picture of the current state of the country’s fight against corruption.
However, he believes that corruption remains one of the most widespread forms of crime, particularly within the political elite, “white-collar” criminals, and related businesses.
“It undermines good governance, diverts public resources in favour of the oligarchy, and contributes to the emigration of citizens, which in turn strengthens authoritarian tendencies and undermines democracy itself. This situation is realistically reflected in the European Commission’s latest report, which provides a sobering assessment of the issue”, Preci believes.
He underlines that for the success of the fight against corruption, there are still several challenges that Albania must address, such as the continued identification of corrupt acts by politicians and high-ranking officials and holding the perpetrators accountable.
“This is possible only when government law-enforcement agencies possess a certain degree of integrity and professionalism, are free from politicization and party control, and when citizens have confidence in and support their activities. In this process, both preventive measures to curb corruption and mitigate its negative effects, as well as the unwavering support for the Special Anti-Corruption Agency (SPAK), are of critical importance”, Preci explains.
In addition to this, he adds that there is a need for the simultaneous strengthening of government accountability and transparency, the expansion of public participation in decision-making, the improvement of public sector administration, and the engagement of civil society institutions.
Preci underlines the importance of rigorous adherence to the separation of powers to achieve sustainable results and mitigate the impact of corruption in the economic and social aspects of society.
“Anti-corruption programs and strategies must not only involve the government sector but also require the active participation of the private business sector and the public. The involvement of the private sector should be seen as a means to reduce the informal economy and limit the spaces in which members of national and international organized crime are active”, he adds.
According to Preci, the opening of the first chapters is a major milestone for the success of Albania’s fight against corruption and the promotion of good governance.
“It is hoped that this will mark the end of the ‘Potemkin facades’ of anti-corruption reforms, which, unfortunately, have been all too prevalent in the last decade”, Preci concludes.