The Albanian government has decided to ask for Albanian voters’ advice on a number of policymaking issues it considers crucial.
In the recent “National Consultation” initiative launched by Prime Minister Edi Rama, the government has presented the general public with 12 questions covering a range of issues, from geopolitical to fiscal matters, that it deems important for the country’s future.
On the geopolitical front, Albanians are invited to advise the government on whether the European Union should decouple the EU integration process for Albania and North Macedonia, or whether the two-year-old Open Balkan initiative is good for Albania.
In the legal and judicial area, Albanians’ opinion is required on whether sentences for those who repeat criminal offenses should be increased, whether littering should be punished by law, or whether unvetted prosecutors and judges should be suspended automatically if their decisions are in breach of the law.
The government is also asking the public’s advice on some fiscal and economic issues: whether fines for large businesses should be increased, whether immigrants should be allowed to deposit their savings in Albania without any checks, or whether pensioners who are still working should continue to pay social contributions.
Another important issue on the survey is whether Albania should allow the cultivation and exportation of medical cannabis.
The survey can be filled online or through a paper form that will be sent to every voter’s residential address before February 22. It will cost taxpayers €200,000.
“I understand everyone who is skeptical about it, I would invite them to join and not prejudice the initiative, but instead assess its results and everyone will then figure out this is the right thing to do and take part in it later,” Rama stated at the launch of the initiative.
In fact, skepticism toward the initiative is plentiful as Rama has not taken any steps to raise public trust by being transparent on how the survey was drafted or including civil society in the drafting process.
This is the first time the government has launched a large-scale project to receive the public’s opinion on pre-selected issues, and the questionnaire comes only six weeks ahead of mayoral by-elections for six of the country’s 61 municipalities.
It remains unclear what process the government used to determine that these are the issues that merit a consultation with the public.
Experts maintain that survey questions have been drafted in an unprofessional manner and therefore any expected results are irrelevant.
The unsolicited initiative is probably the most ironic reminder of the frequent allegations against government’s failure to conduct public consultations even when they are demanded by law, including the construction of hydropower plants across the country, the construction of high rise buildings and roads, the demolition of whole neighborhoods. Not to mention one of the most dramatic events in the history of civil society’s struggle in Albania: the demolition of the National Theater after nearly two years of protests. In breach of fundamental legislative principles, the ruling majority even passed a law tailored for a specific company to build high-rise buildings on the theater’s land.
The government’s motivation and ability to process and deliver the survey results are also marred by skepticism and uncertainty. The opposition and some national and international media have accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of rigging local and general elections. OSCE-ODIHR also found that the ruling Socialist Party unlawfully used state resources during the last elections in April 2021, when it won a third mandate.
Moreover, with a government unable to secure the citizens’ most private data, like IDs and salaries, and refusing to take any responsibility for their leaks, it remains unclear how it plans to raise public trust that survey results would reflect the people’s opinion and not be rigged.
The initiative also comes at a time when the government and its projects have been left in the shadows due to an internal strife within the opposition Democratic Party, which has grabbed all public attention for over two months.
Keeping in mind the legacy of the Albanian governments in relation to public consultations, it remains to be seen whether Rama could use this latest unsolicited initiative as a tool to justify future decisions alleging that he has received the public’s support through this survey.
Meanwhile, with only six weeks remaining before the March 6th mayoral by-elections in six municipalities, Rama’s invitation for the public to engage with the questions he has posed will surely divert the focus from the opposition’s internal strife and bring the public’s attention to the government’s alleged inclusion of the Albanian people’s voice in policymaking.
