Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has declared that Albania has won the battle against corruption, citing the latest report from GRECO (Group of States Against Corruption) of the Council of Europe. The report acknowledges Albania’s progress in aligning its systems with EU standards.
Gianluca Esposito, Director of Human Rights and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe, emphasized that corruption transcends nationality and can be effectively tackled through efficient systems and political will.
“Corruption is not a matter of nationality, passport, or affiliation—it can be fought through effective systems and political determination,” said Esposito.
Rama stated that Albania, once ranked among the most corrupt countries in Europe, has now achieved one of the highest progress rates in the past decade.
“We have defeated corruption. When we took office, the situation was dire. Today, Albania is among the eight countries with the greatest progress in the last ten years,” he asserted.
Additionally, Rama reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to EU accession by 2030, dismissing recent skepticism over the opening of negotiation chapters.
“We are motivated to become an EU member by 2030. We will proceed with the opening of chapters, contrary to what has been recently claimed,” he said.
Justice System Still Lags Behind
Despite progress in anti-corruption efforts, Rama criticized Albania’s justice system for still conducting prosecutor interviews without audio or video recordings.
“Our justice system remains in the Stone Age. We still conduct interviews without audio and video recordings. This must be urgently corrected, and we will strongly support this reform,” he declared.
The GRECO report marks the conclusion of the fifth monitoring round, assessing achievements in corruption prevention and strengthening integrity in public administration.
Albanian Minister of Interior Ervin Hoxha highlighted the efforts of the State Police in fulfilling GRECO’s recommendations and promoting transparency and meritocracy. He emphasized that recent hiring processes have demonstrated increased trust in fair and merit-based competitions.
