Albania’s Last Twenty Years: Achievements and Failures
Albania’s Last Twenty Years: Achievements and Failures

Summary/Abstract: Over the past twenty years, Albania has made tremendous progress in a number of fields, most notably in matters relating to social and economic development. Daily life for ordinary Albanians has improved significantly since the end of the one-party state in 1991. Law and order has been restored to make the country one of the safest in Europe, whilst the massive road-building programme has opened up previously inaccessible parts of Albania. In the field of foreign affairs, Albania has joined NATO and striven to improve relations with all her neighbours, becoming a force for stability in the region rather than conflict. Despite these notable achievements, the country's failures are all too apparent. Democratic structures remain chronically weak, whilst corruption is rampant. There has been serious neglect of the environment, causing erosion of the country's forests, pollution of a large number of rivers and destruction of much of Albania's coastal environment. Meanwhile, chronic and incessant political infighting has caused the opposition to boycott parliament and take to the streets, leaving Albania in a state of political uncertainty.

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