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An anti-corruption ministry/New institution, old problem; International reports prove this

An anti-corruption ministry/New institution, old problem; International reports

In the new government cabinet "Rama 4", one of the innovations that attracted attention was the creation of the State Ministry for Anti-Corruption, headed by Adea Pirdeni.

The Prime Minister presented this as a major step in the fight against corruption, but the question naturally arises as to whether this is a real instrument for change, or simply another political maneuver?

To understand it more clearly, let us recall international reports, where Albania has been ranked among the countries with serious problems in the field of corruption for years.

Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index gave Albania 42 points out of 100, ranking it 80th out of 180 countries. This result, although slightly better than previous years, shows that corruption still remains a major obstacle.

The European Commission also notes in its report that although there are steps forward such as investigations and convictions involving high-ranking officials, corruption continues to be "widespread in many areas of public and business life." 

Even according to a UNDP survey  , over 60% of citizens do not believe that the prosecution or other institutions have the real will to punish high-level corruption.

According to the survey, the population does not believe that the prosecution and institutions have real power to investigate and punish high-level corruption. 

In this context, on the one hand, SPAK has opened several high-profile files and this has been reflected in international assessments, while on the other hand, many files drag on and the big "fish" are never touched.

In this context, the establishment of a new ministry does not seem like a solution to the problem, but rather like another show.

This is because international reports are clear: corruption in Albania is systematic and linked to political power. This does not change with a new name in the cabinet. On the contrary, there is a risk that the new ministry will turn into a mechanism to mask failures, offering anti-corruption rhetoric but no concrete results. S.Gj

 

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