Albania in two versions: Propaganda of successes and reports with reservations

Prime Minister Edi Rama has enthusiastically published the Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI) report, according to which Albania ranks first in Southeast Europe for political transformation.

A success that, if the headlines are to be believed, places the country in an almost model category. The only problem is that some other international reports seem to have lagged behind in the "transformation" and have not yet reflected this new reality.

Freedom House: Albania a partly free country

According to the Freedom House report , Albania continues to be classified as “Partly Free” with 69/100 points. In less diplomatic language, the country remains in the category of democracies with footnotes.

The report notes ongoing problems with: institutions, corruption, and the functioning of the rule of law. But perhaps even Freedom House simply hasn't gotten the updated version of the "new Albania" yet.

DASH: Albania among dangerous countries for Americans

Meanwhile, the US State Department ranks Albania at level two, where Americans are advised to exercise increased caution.

So, on the one hand, "leader of political transformation in the region," on the other, "be careful when traveling." A combination that in Rama's diplomacy is probably called balance, while in real life it is called contrast.

Progress with conditions from Brussels, integration at risk

In Brussels, enthusiasm is more measured. Reports from European institutions and the largest political grouping in the European Parliament, the EPP, speak of high-level corruption, challenges to justice, problems with elections, and political polarization.

The EP report submitted after the representative delegation's visit to Tirana emphasizes that "enlargement remains merit-based and depends on sustained reforms, particularly in the areas of the rule of law, judicial independence, the fight against corruption and organized crime, and media freedom."

“Attention was paid to the ongoing political polarization, as well as high-level corruption investigations and the risk of political interference in judicial proceedings.”

“Members underlined the need to continue work on the “foundations”, particularly in the fight against corruption and organized crime, strengthening the rule of law.”

The failure of the Albanian Parliament to lift the immunity of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku is being seen as a serious test of the country's commitment to the rule of law.

Diplomats from EU member states have stated that: “Member states expect politics not to impede the rule of law.”

This development could directly affect the position of member states towards the adoption of the IBAR report, a key instrument that paves the way for Albania towards the phase of closing the negotiation chapters.

26 critical amendments from the EPP

The European People's Party (EPP) has submitted 26 amendments to the European Parliament's 2025 report on Albania, strongly highlighting systemic shortcomings in elections, justice and governance.

The report, led by Albania Reporter Andreas Schieder, highlights the Albanian government's serious failures in key areas such as elections, justice, administration and governance. MEPs also stressed that without deep and irreversible reforms, Albania risks losing credibility in the European Union.

conclusion

On one hand, we have the official narrative promoted by Edi Rama, which relies on the Bertelsmann Stiftung report and presents Albania as a success story in the region. On the other hand, reports by Freedom House, DASH and EU institutions offer a more cautious assessment, emphasizing that progress remains fragile and conditional.

In the end, the question that remains is not whether this 'progress' will be enough to convince European partners that Albania is ready to move from promises to concrete results.