Between transition and consolidation: The EU’S impact in shaping Albania’s democracy

Bogdani, Mirela, Loughlin, John and Tafili, Eva Hyskaj 2026. Between transition and consolidation: The EU’S impact in shaping Albania’s democracy. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development 13 (2) , 360. 10.56345/ijrdv13n229

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (390kB)

Abstract

This paper examines Albania’s post-communist transition, focusing on the role of the European Union accession perspective in promoting democratization and democratic consolidation. Structured into five sections, the study first presents the research methodology, outlining the main research question, the variables, the research method, and the study’s contribution to the existing literature. The subsequent sections provide a conceptual overview of democratisation and the principal theories of transition, highlighting the diverse trajectories from authoritarianism to hybrid or consolidated democratic regimes. The authors introduce a novel analytical model - the multi-dimensional comprehensive approach for the 4th wave of democratisation (referring to the former communist countries of Eastern Europe) - which incorporates contextual conditions, domestic actors, and external influences, to provide a holistic understanding of the democratisation process within this regional context. The study further explores the concept of democratic consolidation through three sets of indicators: institutional performance, the development of a democratic political culture, and progress toward EU accession. Applying this framework to Albania, the paper analyses the complexity and challenges of the country’s transition process. It further examines Albania’s tumultuous journey towards the EU, conceptualising democratisation and Europeanisation as complementary processes. While the EU accession perspective has served as a significant driver of democratisation, the analysis finds that several key democratic indicators remain unfulfilled, particularly in the areas of rule of law, electoral integrity, public administration, corruption and organised crime. The paper concludes that Albania has not yet completed its transition and remains far from being a consolidated democracy.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics
Publisher:	UAMD University
ISSN:	2410-3411
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 July 2026
Date of Acceptance:	10 June 2026
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2026 08:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188454

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item