Control of institutions and appointments, 2020-2026
Status: ongoing; ratings and appointments as of October 2026
Summary
Albania's key oversight and election posts are filled through Parliament, where PS has held a large majority since 2021 and a majority again after May 2025. The President, the Ombudsman, the KLSH chair, the Constitutional Court and the Prosecutor General are all chosen through majority or three-fifths votes, so one large party can control most of them, sometimes with some opposition support. The record shows both the appointments and the institutions' own resistance.
The independent ratings reflect the same pattern. Freedom House keeps Albania at 68 to 69 out of 100 (Partly Free) for several years, with corruption and bribery named as 'major problems'. V-Dem placed Albania in the electoral autocracy category in its 2026 report, after a grey-zone classification the year before. Transparency International's CPI score fell from 42 (2024) to 39 (2025), rank 80 to 91.
SPAK and the courts have also charged or detained senior officials, including figures close to PS, so the picture is mixed rather than one-directional.
Key facts
- Freedom in the World: 68/100 (2025 edition) and 69/100 (2026 edition), both Partly Free. Political Rights 28/40, Civil Liberties 40/60 in 2025; 28/40 and 41/60 in 2026.
- Freedom House 2026 indicator notes: corruption and bribery remain major problems (C2 scored 2 of 4); media indicator D1 scored 2 of 4; judiciary F1 scored 3 of 4.
- V-Dem Democracy Report 2026 (data year 2025): Albania listed as EA+ (electoral autocracy, upper part). Its earlier 2025 report placed Albania in the grey zone.
- Ombudsman Endrit Shabani: elected 18 Dec 2025 with 85 votes (three-fifths = 84 needed).
- KLSH chairman Arben Shehu: Decision 34/2020, 2 July 2020; still in office per 2026 KLSH notices.
- President Bajram Begaj: elected 4 June 2022, 78 votes; main opposition boycotted.
- Prosecutor General: Olsian Çela's term ends December 2026; selection stalled over lack of consensus in the High Prosecutorial Council (KLP).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (3)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- The Ombudsman, KLSH chair and President were elected by Parliament or by the Assembly (primary sources checked).
- ODIHR documented misuse of administrative resources in the May 2025 campaign (ODIHR final report, per secondary summaries).
- Freedom House and V-Dem ratings and the Ombudsman/KLSH appointments are as stated above.
What is alleged (2)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat appointments are made to protect the ruling party (not proven in this pass).
- AllegationThat the Prosecutor General selection is delayed on purpose (not established).
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationOpposition and some analysts argue that PS-controlled Parliament chooses institutional heads who depend on the ruling majority (speculation about intent, not a finding).
- AllegationOSCE/ODIHR 2025 final report: the ruling party gained from misuse of administrative resources and pressure on public employees (see ev-2025-10-23-odihr-final).
Open questions (4)
- Who is the next Prosecutor General and when does the selection finish?
- Did the AMA appointment (Armela Krasniqi) proceed, and by what vote?
- What is the Constitutional Court's current composition after the 2025-26 appointments?
- Full CPI series 2013-2025 from TI's primary data (not opened).
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Government line (per Rama's statements reported by Exit and RSF): criticism of institutions is unfounded and press criticism is a matter for the courts. No specific response to the appointment criticisms was found in this pass.
Timeline
Full timeline →Parliament
Arben Shehu elected KLSH chairman (Assembly Decision 34/2020)
Decision No. 34/2020 of the Assembly, dated 2 July 2020, elected Arben Shehu as KLSH chairman; the KLSH site gives no vote count. Shehu was still in office in 2026.
Parliament
Parliament elects Bajram Begaj President, 78 votes; PD boycotts
After three failed rounds, PS nominated Begaj shortly before the fourth round. He was elected with 78 votes, 4 against and 1 abstention; PD boycotted. Opposition MPs questioned whether his military status was compatible with the office.
Parliament
Parliamentary election: PS wins, Rama secures fourth term (about 52% of the vote)
PS won the 11 May 2025 election. Vote share reported as 52.1% (ODIHR-context summary) or 52.2% (other reports). Seat count is disputed: 83 seats in Tirana Times and(ev-2025-05-11-election-83-seats), 82 in another report, and 74 in a third. The PD-led coalition is reported to have won about 50 seats. Diaspora vote: about 61% PS. PD disputes the result.
Government
Rama ultimatum on local governors tied to Theth illegal-construction scandal
EUalive reports that on 11 July 2025 Rama gave an ultimatum demanding the dismissal of about 340 local administrative-unit governors linked to his party's mayors, in response to an illegal-construction scandal. Reported as a centralising move; the exact number and date should be checked against the government's own text.
International
ODIHR final report: ruling party gained from misuse of administrative resources and pressure on public employees
The ODIHR final report on the 11 May 2025 election says the ruling party benefited from heavy use of administrative resources, which gave it an unfair incumbency edge, and reports pressure on voters and public employees. It recommends banning the use of public resources for campaigning. The government reportedly disputed the finding; the leaked-correspondence claim was not verified. Also see ev-2025-10-23-odihr-final.
Parliament
Parliament elects Endrit Shabani Ombudsman with 85 votes
Parliament elected Endrit Shabani as People's Advocate on 18 December 2025 with 85 votes, one above the three-fifths threshold of 84. Search results also mention a scuffle in Parliament during an Ombudsman vote, undated and not confirmed as this one.
Court
Fiona Papajorgji becomes Constitutional Court chair
Papajorgji has chaired the Constitutional Court since 18 December 2025, per Wikipedia. Two vacancies were open after Elsa Toska's resignation (September 2024) and the end of Sonila Bejta's mandate (October 2025). Altin Binaj's election was reported with 96 votes (date unclear).
International
Freedom House FIW 2026: Albania 69/100, Partly Free
The 2026 Freedom in the World edition gives Albania 69/100 (Political Rights 28/40, Civil Liberties 41/60), up one point from 68 in the 2025 edition. Freedom House notes that corruption and bribery remain major problems and that the political parties are highly polarised and often organised around leading personalities. Citizens.al describes 67-68 as the range for 2021-2025 (stagnation).
International
V-Dem Democracy Report 2026 places Albania in the electoral autocracy category
V-Dem's Democracy Report 2026 (data year 2025) lists Albania as EA+ (electoral autocracy, upper part) in its regime-type table. The report does not say that elections have stopped. In 2024 V-Dem had Albania in the grey zone. V-Dem liberal democracy index for Albania is about 0.39 (rank about 79 of 179 in the Table A2 score list); the PDF text alignment is imperfect so this figure is approximate.
Other
Prosecutor General selection deadlocked in the High Prosecutorial Council
The High Prosecutorial Council (KLP) could not agree a shortlist for the next Prosecutor General as Olsian Çela's seven-year term nears its end in December 2026. Candidates reported: SPAK prosecutor Adnan Xholi (first to apply), Rovena Zoto, former acting PG Arta Marku and Fatjona Memçaj. Election needs three-fifths of Parliament (84 votes). Date of the stalemate is approximate (Tirana Times items dated May to August 2026).
Connections
- Court proceeding←Erion Veliaj and Ajola Xoxa case (SPAK, 'Veliaj' file)Source label: Under investigation
Counterweight: SPAK and court action against PS-linked officials (Veliaj case, see existing veliaj file)
Evidence: Existing research records the Constitutional Court detention remand of Veliaj (July 2026); used here as evidence against the dominant-control hypothesis.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 22 sources.
Source label: VerifiedVerified · 10 sources
- Publisher
- Freedom House
- Date
- 2026
- Publisher
- V-Dem Institute
- Date
- Mar 2026
- Publisher
- KLSH
- Date
- 2 Jul 2020
- Publisher
- Top Channel
- Date
- 4 Jun 2022
- Publisher
- Anadolu Agency
- Date
- 4 Jun 2022
- Publisher
- Al Jazeera
- Date
- 13 May 2025
- Publisher
- Heinrich Boell Stiftung
- Date
- 18 Feb 2025
- Publisher
- Ombudsman of Albania
- Date
- 18 Dec 2025
- Publisher
- Citizens.al
- Date
- 20 Mar 2026
- Publisher
- Exit.al
- Date
- Mar 2026
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 2 sources
- Publisher
- A2 News
- Date
- 23 Oct 2025
- Publisher
- OSCE/ODIHR
- Date
- 23 Oct 2025
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 7 sources
- Publisher
- EUalive
- Date
- Jul 2025
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- 2026
- Publisher
- Tirana Times
- Date
- Aug 2026
- Publisher
- Freedom House (as quoted in EU Council annex ST-14899-2025-ADD-1)
- Date
- 2025
- Publisher
- Bertelsmann Stiftung BTI (reported by European Western Balkans)
- Date
- 27 Mar 2026
- Publisher
- Economist Intelligence Unit (reported by European Western Balkans)
- Date
- 20 Feb 2024
- Publisher
- World Justice Project (reported by eucrim and WJP press release)
- Date
- 28 Oct 2025
Source label: UnverifiedUnverified · 3 sources
- Publisher
- Wikipedia
- Date
- Dec 2025
- Publisher
- Transparency International (CPI) as reported by secondary sources
- Date
- 10 Feb 2026
- Publisher
- Altax.al
- Date
- 2022