Government establishes dedicated Anti-corruption Directorate
A few months before the opening of the first chapters of negotiations with the European Union, the Albanian government has focused all its efforts on the fight against corruption. This week, by decision of the Council of Ministers, a special General Directorate for Anti-corruption has been established. The director will be appointed by Government decision and will report to the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption.
Why is this relevant
Albania is awaiting the second intergovernmental conference with the EU. At this meeting, decisions will be made regarding the start of negotiations on the first chapters, which for Albania will begin with Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, and Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom, and Security. These chapters will be assessed, among other things, on both national legislation and its implementation in combating corruption. For this reason, the current government majority has placed a strong emphasis on intensifying efforts against this phenomenon, which remains concerning at every level of power, despite progress and positive evaluations from reports by DASH and the Progress Report of the European Commission.
Context
The latest initiative of the majority comes in the heels of its decision to establish a special parliamentary commission known as the Anti-corruption Commission. Additionally, in January of this year, the Prime Minister added a ministerial portfolio dedicated to the fight against anti-corruption (the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption) to his cabinet. The current majority was also the driving force behind the highly regarded justice reform, which aimed to improve the fight against corruption at the highest levels of decision-making. The reform led to the establishment of new justice institutions such as the National Bureau of Investigation, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure and the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime. These structures have brought former government ministers, mayors, and opposition leaders to justice, all accused of abuse of office and corruption.
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