“Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” — C. P. Scott, 1921.
2025 elections: a calm process, but with problems and violations
Erblin Vukaj · Originally published: 12 May 2025
In this article
The preliminary observation report
A coalition of civil-society organisations has identified a series of problems calling into question the integrity of the 11 May parliamentary elections, although it assesses them as having taken place in a calm atmosphere.
“The process followed the same trend as several recent elections in Albania: a mostly calm atmosphere and participation by the active part of the citizenry, broad media coverage and an extensive presence of political parties and candidates, messages encouraging participation, and active management by the Central Election Commission of the problems that arose,” said a joint statement issued today by the Albanian Helsinki Committee (KShH), Qëndresa Qytetare (QQ) and the Institute for Political Studies (ISP).
However, the preliminary observation report by these three organisations reveals persistent irregularities and challenges that threaten a functioning democracy in the country.
Problems identified during voting
With more than 60 observers deployed across 17 municipalities, the preliminary report released today revealed breaches of the campaign-silence period, tensions between party observers and election commissioners, and the presence of unauthorised individuals at polling stations.
The findings also include concerns about outside interference in voting, problems with electronic identification devices and the undignified treatment of people with disabilities.
Observers noted election-related social-media posts by certain candidates, campaign materials displayed on billboards in public spaces, and cases of campaign offices remaining open during the campaign-silence period.
During the process, party observers, commissioners and MPs reported abuses and intimidation of voters, including cases flagged in the municipalities of Lushnjë, Tirana (near the Petro Nini school), Pogradec, Vorë and elsewhere.
There were also power cuts, shortcomings in the use of cameras and recording of the process, absent commissioners, delays in opening polling stations, and technical problems with electronic voter identification devices (PEI).
“Our final reports will include positions and assessments on all aspects of the monitoring,” says the three organisations’ preliminary statement. They stress that their observers were allowed to complete their monitoring despite encountering obstacles in some cases.
Turnout and calls for investigations
“For me, it was a missed opportunity: that after 35 years Albania has failed to establish normal election standards for a democratic country supposedly heading towards the EU,” said ISP director Afrim Krasniqi. In his view, past experience should have led Albania to show maturity and hold elections with different indicators.
Meanwhile, low voter turnout (42%) compared with the 2021 elections raises questions about citizens’ trust in political processes.
KShH, QQ and ISP argue that a campaign characterised by hate speech and a lack of concrete platforms may have contributed to deepening political apathy and voter disengagement.
The statement also highlights concerns about justice institutions failing to function properly and presses the need for more substantive and independent investigations into electoral crimes.
With 54 criminal complaints filed by 9 May and another 123 with the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure (SPAK), problems such as vote buying and selling remain an open wound in the electoral system.
In an atmosphere where political polarisation challenges the democratic order, the report stresses the need to depoliticise election administration and strengthen the role of independent institutions.