Die ökonomische und soziale Entwicklung Nord-Albaniens im Prozess der Transformation
The Economic and Social Development of North Albania in the Process of Transformation

Summary/Abstract: In the last years, Albania has realized impressive growth rates. But economic activities are concentrated in the Tirana-Durres Region and in Southern Albania. Northern Albania is suffering from high jobless rates, a loss of young people emigrating to the central region or abroad. The reasons for these developments can be seen in the very bad conditions of the infrastructure and in a permanent neglect of northern problems in Albanian politics. The EU and international donors are investing in institution building and in cross border networks of infrastructure. These investments are of course very important for Northern Albania. But a necessary improvement of the social and economic conditions of people would mean a strategy that is more orientated towards the concepts of the structural funds. This would allow Albania and the Western Balkans as a whole to narrow the gap to the new member states of the EU. Without such a strategy a membership perspective of these countries is only a theoretical option.

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