Quiet campaign... fierce debates on social networks... accusations of links to crime and a state administration that is misused by politics... This is the picture that the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission paints of Albania in its interim report on the eve of the May 11 elections, writes A2.
"Personal attacks between leaders of the main parties are common, including online, as well as mutual accusations of corruption and links to organized crime. Smaller parties claimed to focus on door-to-door communication and social networks, however, they were less active on these platforms than the SP or the DP," the report reads.
The report portrays, highlighting the old phenomena that threaten the new parliamentary elections, the 11th in the pluralistic history of post-communist Albania: “Most interlocutors of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission raised concerns about the misuse of state resources, including voting abroad, pressure on public sector employees and the influence of so-called “patronage networks” on voting.”
While emphasizing that the elections are considered a key moment for Albania's democratic development and the path towards the European Union, the OSCE/ODIHR report raises concerns about the financing of political parties: "No significant changes have been made to the legal framework related to campaign financing since 2020. In particular, the ODIHR's key recommendations on interim financial reporting, regulation of third-party financing, and expansion of public financing for independent candidates remain unaddressed."
The OSCE-ODIHR preliminary report covering the period 1-21 April 2025 states that "the political environment is characterized by a high degree of polarization and mistrust between the two main parties." (A2 Televizion)
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