Of Flamingos, EU Conditionality and Unfulfilled Expectations
Recently Albania has hit international headlines with news on an ongoing protest over a development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Flamingos, that populate the area where the project is set, and banners “Albania is not for sale” have become the symbol of the demonstrations. The approval by the EP of a Resolution on the 2025 Commission Report on 17 June 2026, where a moratorium was requested on any development in the Vjosë-Nartë, was received with optimism from protesters. Yet pre-accession EU conditionality may appear slow and with limited effectiveness.
Continue reading >>
Accession by Algorithm
For over twenty years, the EU has viewed Albania as a potential accession candidate. Albania has since applied, undergone reviews, and obtained candidate status, yet core reforms have lagged amid political polarization and persistent corruption. Against this backdrop, the government has, since 2023, turned to AI – using it to translate and consolidate legislation, screen procurement opportunities, and even assign a system to a cabinet-level role. While these initiatives promise efficiency, transparency, and participation, they risk treating symptoms rather than the deeper ethical and institutional reforms required for EU acquis alignment.
Continue reading >>
From Backlog to Breakdown
Albania’s Vetting Commission recently concluded its mandate, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s judicial reform effort. Since 2016, Albania has enacted significant constitutional amendments aimed at comprehensive reforms. The results of these reforms are now obvious, with notable improvements in the judiciary’s anti-corruption efforts. However, the process itself and some interim decisions have had a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the judicial system, that is now threatening to undermine the outcome of reforms unless urgent measures are taken.
Continue reading >>Managing Migration the Italian Way
The Italy-Albania deal provides a new, some say innovative, approach to externalization in migration procedures. It differs from the current EU toolbox, raising issues related to these differences and the treatment of procedural rights. Where these issues arise and how they will be litigated nationally and/or in front of the ECJ is unclear but will shape migration discourses beyond Italy.
Continue reading >>Prove Your Integrity or Resign
In May 2024, in the case of Bala, the ECtHR issued another decision concerning the vetting of the judiciary in Albania. This time, the Court decided that the state’s ban on a judicial advisor, who resigned instead of undergoing the integrity vetting process, from entering high public offices for fifteen years does not violate the ECHR. While the ECHR does not explicitly articulate the right to free choice of occupation or the right to equal access to public offices, this article demonstrates that even under these two rights, the limitation in question is likely proportionate. However, legislators would be wise to consider less intrusive options as well.
Continue reading >>