EDITORIAL – Albanian and European Identities. Perspectives in Communication, Education and Culture

By, Associate Professor Dr. Belina BUDINI

EDITORIAL

In this issue of Polis Journal (number 22/2) we are focusing on the Albanian and European Identities. Papers reflect upon perspectives in the fields of Communication, Education, International Relations, and Cultural studies. Albania, as a candidate country for membership of the European Union, has made some progress in aligning its laws and regulations with the EU “Acquis Communautaire”. However, challenges remain, particularly in the areas of democratic institutional building. Political and civil society actors are brought into question in the article by Mirela Bogdani emphasizing the lack of legitimacy and the unreliability of political parties and other domestic actors, that have increasingly amplified the importance of the International Community as an external actor in Albania. From within a critical stance, she argues that the inability of local actors to deal with domestic challenges and cooperate with one another have ‘promoted’ this actor, which has been trying to fulfill the role of facilitator and mediator that the state institutions have proved unable to perform. The article focuses on the role of the International Community as a pivotal and reliable actor in democratic transition in Albania, analyzing the role of various actors in the democratization process in Albania, with specific emphasis on one key participant which has played a significant role throughout the three-decade transition period. Therefore, the paper argues that legitimacy in Albania lies with the international community and its verdict tends to be considered as final. Furthermore, the author analyses the impact and influence exerted by the two most significant external actors: the European Union, because of Albania’s aspirational EU membership, steering reforms and providing financial assistance; and the United States, which, through its diplomats and ambassadors, has been very proactive in Albanian politics, helping the country to overcome persistent problems as corruption and organized crime, and more recently the judiciary reform. The paper concludes that Albanian road towards democratization could have had a different trajectory without the involvement and guidance of the international community pushing for and directing reforms. While acknowledging the significance of assistance from external driving forces, the article suggests that the primary onus for the progress of a country should rest upon its domestic actors.