Political polarization and government pressure on the judiciary – fueled by investigations into senior politicians – could hinder Albania's rapid progress towards European Union membership.
This will be a crucial year for defining the Albanian government's approach to the justice system, as the country aims to maintain the progress made towards EU membership in 2025.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has harshly criticized the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, after the latter requested the arrest of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, the highest-ranking public official indicted so far.
The question is whether the government will continue to attack justice institutions to come to the aid of Rama's associates - while these are the same institutions that have brought real progress in the country's EU membership process, a process that Rama has pledged to conclude by the end of the decade.
SPAK was established in 2019. Best known for prosecuting organized crime and high-level corruption, it is also facing a challenge related to maintaining its independence.
The new leader since December, Klodian Braho, must manage high expectations and public and political pressure, after his predecessor, Altin Dumani, significantly raised expectations by prosecuting senior officials, showing for the first time since the end of communism that no one is above the law.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, also faces a challenge - reforming itself during 2026, after losing the general elections in May last year, which according to most political analysts is essential to creating a new political alternative for the country.
So far, despite organizing protests against Rama, it has not made much progress. “The Democratic Party is failing to use the situation in its favor or mobilize the public,” political expert and professor Ermal Hasimja told BIRN.
"It lacks the necessary political credibility. The public sees it as part of an elite that works for its own interests and not for the country. Since 2013 (when it lost power), the Democratic Party has failed to change enough to become credible," Hasimja added.
However, a small but significant development could affect the party’s prospects. In December, former MP Ervin Salianji began a series of meetings, speaking to opposition supporters with the aim of reforming the party. The party’s leader, Sali Berisha, who is under US sanctions and also faces corruption charges from SPAK, has called the meetings a “personal tour” that does not represent the party’s official position. But Salianji has vowed to continue.
His actions are expected to become clearer during 2026, especially whether he will create a new political faction or attempt to take over the leadership of the Democratic Party.
SPAK in the spotlight
The work of SPAK has been the main focus in the country in recent years. Many high-profile politicians are now under arrest or investigation. In addition to Deputy Prime Minister Balluku, charges have also been brought against the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, as well as the leader of the Democratic Party, Berisha.
“Justice, which was the main topic of 2025, is expected to be the hottest issue in early 2026. On one hand we have SPAK's fight against crime and corruption, and on the other hand we will see a bigger fight against SPAK by politicians, media and business,” said Rigels Xhemollari from the Tirana-based non-governmental organization, Qëndresa Qytetare.
According to Gentian Serjani, a lawyer and director of the human rights organization For Social Justice, "SPAK's work is expected to continue at the same pace and with the same level of influence, maintaining constant pressure on political actors."
In December, the High Prosecutorial Council elected Klodian Braho as the new head of SPAK. Braho will remain in the public spotlight as he succeeds Altin Dumani, who was widely perceived as a prosecutor willing to confront the culture of impunity in Albania.
“2026 will be the year of the new SPAK leader. Altin Dumani significantly raised the bar, turning SPAK into a hope for punishing high-level corruption,” Dervishi said. “He set a new standard of expectations – perhaps higher than the institution’s current capacities (to meet).”
Tensions in parliament
The main political challenge for parliamentary life in 2026 will be whether the two main political camps – the Socialist Party, which won an unprecedented fourth term in 2025, and the opposition Democratic Party – will manage to find a common language to cooperate on issues that require mutual consensus.
The two main parties have already agreed to cooperate on several critical issues, such as electoral and territorial reform, as well as changes to parliamentary regulations, voting in October to establish two special parliamentary committees.
But smaller parties suspect that this was the result of an agreement between Rama and Berisha to exclude rivals and strengthen their hegemony over Albanian politics.
"Parliament will face strong tests regarding electoral and territorial reforms, where constitutional and fundamental changes are expected regarding the electoral-political composition of the country and campaign financing," Xhemollari noted.
Parliamentary sessions tend to be tense, divisive and unproductive – an atmosphere not conducive to calm and rational reforms, noted political analyst Lutfi Dervishi. He said one problem was that the Democratic Party has not truly accepted the Socialists’ victory in the 2025 elections.
“The political tension in the country is not an isolated episode, but a permanent state. The opposition will continue to contest the recent elections, referring to the ODIHR (international election observers) report, which highlights structural problems in the fairness of the competition, the use of state resources, and direct and indirect pressure on voters,” Dervishi told BIRN.
"Test year" for EU membership hopes
Albania opened the final group of topics in its European Union accession negotiations in November, including agriculture and fisheries, food security and cohesion policy – another step on the path to membership for the Balkan state.
This historic moment was marked at the seventh EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference, held in Brussels. Albania opened the first set of negotiating chapters – on judiciary and fundamental rights, freedom and security, and procurement and financial control – in October last year, concluding the entire chapter opening process in about a year.
Prime Minister Rama pledged ahead of the May general elections that Albania would be a full member of the EU by 2030, a promise that was met with skepticism by local experts at the time.
However, Albania is now considered one of the favorite countries for membership, as confirmed by the latest EU progress reports for the ten candidate countries.
According to Xhemollari, "the opening of all chapters with the European Union during 2025 will focus the government on fulfilling, at least formally, obligations - but challenges remain regarding citizens' living standards, food safety, consumer rights and the increase in prices in relation to incomes."
Dervishi agrees that the year 2026 will show whether Albania's progress towards the EU has real substance.
"All negotiation chapters with the European Union have been opened, but none have been closed. Technically, this is called progress. But 2026 remains a test year," he said.
