The elections took place in a highly polarized environment and were seen as crucial for Albanias path towards EU membership. According to international observers, the elections were competitive and voters theoretically had a wide choice of political alternatives. In practice, the struggle was mainly between the two largest political parties: that of socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, who seeks a fourth term, and the party of Sali Berisha, the first president elected after the fall of the communist regime and leader of the center-right coalition against whom an investigation is underway for alleged corruption.

During the campaign, the ruling party significantly benefited from the use of state resources and easy access to the media. The independence of the media was undermined by opaque financing and concentrated ownership, allowing the two largest political parties to dominate the reporting.

The legal framework and institutional capacity enabled well-organized elections, strengthening a solid democratic foundation, but voters did not have the chance to listen to a real exchange of political ideas, concluded Farah Karimi in her role as leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission. She also noted that the campaign was focused on hostile and personal attacks, especially by the leaders of the two largest parties, rather than on a solution-based debate. This has deepened public distrust in politics. The country deserves honest and constructive politics, not just on election day, but every day, said Karimi.

Karimi, Vogels, and Gabriëls observed the procedures in the polling stations in the Albanian capital Tirana and the surrounding area, which were mainly set up in primary and secondary schools. During these visits, they looked at the operations at the polling station, whether the polling stations were sufficiently accessible for the disabled, and whether the secrecy of the vote was adequately guaranteed. They also spoke with the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the polling stations appointed by political parties, and with those present around the polling booths.

The general impression was that there was a good and calm atmosphere in the polling stations, although a large part of the polling booths was not well accessible for the disabled, it was sometimes crowded, and it happened that - against the rules - people entered the voting booth together. There was also a somewhat guiding presence of party observers in the polling stations. It was often unclear where people could cast their votes, and they had to be referred to another polling station. The counting of the votes took place at a central location and would only begin after all ballot boxes had been received.

Although people are visibly involved in these elections, it is a worrying development that most school buildings we visited were effectively empty, said Geert Gabriëls. He noted: Despite the countrys economic developments, few young people see opportunities for a good income and a home and are looking for the future outside Albania.

In the two days leading up to election day, preparatory briefings took place in Tirana. Representatives from civil society, the media, and the main candidates of the political parties, including Rama and Berisha, provided explanations and answered questions from the observers.

The main election themes of the participating parties are EU membership and the fight against corruption. The authority for combating corruption and organized crime (SPAK) played an important role in investigating cases of corruption in elections.

Rian Vogels was impressed by the cooperation between the SPAK, the Public Prosecution Service, and the Central Election Commission (CEC) to ensure the integrity of the electoral process: Although more progress must be made in the broader political culture and the trust of citizens. The government will need to work to ensure that good governance reaches all sectors of society.