On Sunday, the people of Albania exercised their democratic right to vote, electing their representatives to the Parliament. We congratulate all the competent authorities for ensuring smooth operations across the country. These elections also marked the introduction of out-of-country voting for the first time.

According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the elections were generally managed in an inclusive and transparent manner, with election day being calm and well-organized, despite some shortcomings.

The elections were overall competitive and professionally conducted, and candidates were generally able to campaign freely, although some reported facing intimidation. However, the vote took place in a highly polarized environment, where contestants did not enjoy a level playing field. Due to the widespread use of administrative resources and institutional leverage, the ruling majority may have had an incumbency advantage. Numerous allegations of pressure on voters, especially public employees, were made. Coordinated efforts to investigate and prosecute electoral crimes are a welcome development, and follow-up is necessary to address persistent concerns of electoral malpractice. Media independence remains an issue, and its electoral coverage continued to favor the main parties, while transparency of campaign financing also remained limited.

The EU will closely monitor electoral developments until the final certification of the results. All political forces should ensure the continued functioning of the countrys institutions.

We encourage Albania to continue pursuing all reforms required for its future accession to the EU, including adopting further electoral reforms addressing all ODIHRs key recommendations and those outstanding from previous elections. Albanias EU integration process is a strategic national objective and a whole-of-society project, strongly supported by Albanias citizens. We reiterate our call for a constructive and inclusive political dialogue, as all of Albanias political parties and all sectors of society, from civil society organizations to local communities, have a role to play in further advancing the countrys EU accession process.