Albania: Stability vs. Democracy

Albania was among the last Balkan nation to adopt liberal democracy, and in fact had to build a system of democratic governance from scratch. Its early efforts at transition were marked by progress and met with acclaim. When compared to the communist period, drastic change has occurred. However, in spite of the inculcation of democratic values, improving the quality of democratic processes and the deepening of real democracy in Albania have proven difficult. Edi Rama, mayor of Tirana and chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, shared his insights on the real challenges facing Albania’s quest for political, social and economic transformation, how successive governments have contributed to the current democratic deficit and his vision for the future.