Albania Country Report – BTI 2014

This report is part of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) 2014. It covers the period from 31 January 2011 to 31 January 2013. The BTI assesses the transformation toward democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of political management in 129 countries. More on the BTI at http://www.bti-project.org.
Please cite as follows: Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2014 — Albania Country Report. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2014.

The evolution of Albania’s fragile democracy during the review period (which did not include the 2013 elections and post-electoral period) showed signs of a downward spiral. Indicators of this trend include the government’s demonstrative failure to organize free and fair local elections in 2011; infringement of the principle of separation of powers through the placing of majority party’s representatives in crucial state positions; political interference in major political investigations; and a failure of the judiciary to persecute cases of abuse of public office. The core problem is not the lack of democratic institutions and procedures, but the misuse of laws and institutions by the ruling elite for political or individual gain. This shift, or elites’ focus on political or individual goals at the expense of institutional procedures, has additionally worked to stagnate or even reverse some important steps taken in management performance and economic development.

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