Albanian parties, CEC, and EU stress urgency of political finance law and electoral reform

Political parties, election authorities, and international representatives came together at a conference organized by the University of Helsinki to discuss urgent reforms to rebuild public trust in elections. Central to the discussions were the approval of a new law on political party financing and a comprehensive, consensus-based electoral reform.

Why is this important: Albania’s progress toward EU accession depends in part on key reforms that demonstrate transparency, accountability, and adherence to democratic standards. The lack of financial transparency in party funding and ongoing election irregularities have raised concerns domestically and internationally.

Context: Socialist co-chair of the Electoral Reform Committee, Damian Gjiknuri, outlined concrete measures for the upcoming political finance bill, which parties have agreed to pass by December 30.

“All donations should be made through banks, and companies with public contracts must be barred from financing political parties,” Gjiknuri said.

Democratic Party co-chair Oerd Bylykbashi highlighted election issues he believes have undermined fair competition:

“The use of the public administration is essentially the use of the state budget in the campaign,” he said, referring to reported abuses in past elections.

CEC findings raise red flags: State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi presented troubling data on political party transparency. In 2024, 84 out of 135 registered parties failed to submit their mandatory financial reports.

Irregularities included:

• Discrepancies between declared and actual expenses,
• False income declarations,
• Missing tax-compliant invoices,
• Mismatches with fiscal systems,
• Parties declaring zero income while remaining politically active.

EU pressure for reform: EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato issued a clear message: political finance transparency and electoral reform are preconditions for Albania’s EU integration.

“We are at a critical point. Albania must take essential steps in the rule of law and democracy. Without this, we cannot close any further EU negotiating chapters,” Gonzato warned.

Next steps: All amendments to the electoral code must be finalized by July 2026, following consensus from the bipartisan reform commission. The upcoming months will be pivotal in determining whether Albania can meet its obligations under the EU accession framework.