EU’s 2026 Report on Albania: Political Influence, Corruption and Media Problems Hamper Progress

The European Commission has released its 2026 report on the rule of law in Albania. The document notes the continuation of justice reform and the implementation of the Cross-Sectoral Justice Strategy, but stresses that the country still faces major challenges in the fight against corruption, media independence, transparency and the quality of legislation.

The report states that the vetting of all judges and prosecutors has been fully completed, following the conclusion of the appeals phase. According to the European Commission, this process has helped further strengthen the independence, integrity and accountability of the justice system.

However, incorporating the high standards of vetting into the regular functioning of the justice system remains a challenge. In this regard, the need to review rules related to the appointment of non-magistrate members to the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council is also mentioned.

The European Commission notes that the High Inspector of Justice continues to operate, although it consistently faces a high number of vacancies for magistrate inspectors.

The document stresses that the judicial system has demonstrated resilience, but there have also been attempts at improper influence over justice institutions, as well as personal attacks against magistrates.

Problems also continue to be identified in the timely and adequately high-quality evaluation of judges. Meanwhile, judicial training has improved and the backlog of cases has been partially reduced, but the modern integrated electronic case management system has not yet become fully operational.

The European Commission gives a positive assessment of the implementation of the 2024-2030 Anti-Corruption Strategy and its related action plan for the 2024-2026 period.

According to the European Union, Albania has largely established its legal framework against corruption and has taken significant steps towards alignment with European standards.

The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime has received particular recognition. The report underlines that SPAK has continued to deliver results in tackling high-level corruption, building a consistent record of investigations, prosecutions and convictions.

On the other hand, the European Commission finds that coordination between institutions responsible for preventing corruption and law enforcement bodies remains weak.

The document stresses that corruption remains present in the State Police, public procurement and other high-risk sectors.

The EU notes that Albania is currently conducting risk assessments in these areas. Progress has also been made in checking asset and interest declarations by the High Inspectorate for Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest, although some shortcomings have yet to be addressed.

A significant part of the concerns raised in the 2026 report concerns the media. The European Commission questions the independence of the regulatory authority, linking the problems to the method used to appoint board members and to their political affiliations.

Likewise, the limited independence of the public broadcaster remains a matter of concern.

Although measures have been taken to make media ownership more transparent, the concentration of the media market and the influence of business groups with political connections are still regarded as serious problems.

According to the EU, a fair mechanism for measuring audiences, allocating state advertising and distributing other public resources has not yet been ensured. Shortcomings have also been identified in the exercise of the right to access information.

The report highlights the continued occurrence of physical and verbal threats against journalists, smear campaigns targeting them, and strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPPs.

Criticism is also directed at the legislative process. The European Commission notes that its quality continues to raise concerns, particularly regarding the use of evidence-based policies and the effectiveness of public consultations.

Political polarisation, according to the document, continues to have negative consequences for the work of Parliament. At the same time, the Constitutional Court is commended for the effective role it has continued to play in ensuring checks and balances between institutions.

The report also includes the appointment of a new Ombudsman and a new Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination.

As regards civil society, the European Commission considers that organisations continue to operate freely. However, they face obstacles related to public discrediting, insufficient transparency during policy drafting, unequal consultation practices and difficulties in ensuring financial sustainability.