The problem with the Albanian fight against corruption is that the laws, processes, codes, and other frameworks that are in place, are not implemented. Furthermore, reforms that are made need to be executed and not just left as a “box-ticking exercise”.
This is the opinion of Sophie Meudal-Leenders, one of the rapporteurs who drafted the Council of Europe Group of States Against Corruption (CoE GRECO) 5th Evaluation Round report that was published this week.
Speaking to Exit in an exclusive interview, she explained that Albania is very good at making laws but the issue lies in implementation. Leenders added that there are examples where a framework against corruption is in place, but that people are not aware of their responsibilities, who to report to, or even how it works.
In terms of the Code of Ethics for Ministers which was adopted in 2013, GRECO doubts that it’s been implemented or whether the Ethics Committee is operational. They called for this to be addressed and for measures to be introduced including awareness-raising activities on integrity-related matters for all PDFS and political advisors. They noted that no PTEFs had been obliged to withdraw from anything due to a conflict of interest, thus casting doubts on the efficacy of the system.
Greco also observed that this code does not apply to members of the Council of Ministers. It also found there was no provision for a case where the Prime Minister would violate the code, as they would be the one enforcing disciplinary measures. GRECO was unable to establish any assessment of the work of the Committee or the outcome of its work.
But this is also a cultural issue she said. She explained that in many countries, culture has an impact on the perception of corruption. Many do not realise that corruption can include nepotism, favours, or even helping a friend of the family to get a job.
“It’s not just about accepting bribes”, she said. This can lead to challenges in implementing anti-corruption reform as often a cultural shift is needed.
“In Albania this is part of the problem but we see this in other countries as well. Change isn’t something you can speed up really, but rather you hope that with political will and effort, it will happen naturally.”
She added: “This [the GRECO evaluation process] is not a short term process, it is ongoing and requires effort from all stakeholders.”
“It’s difficult to pinpoint how long it will take, it’s something Albania will need to commit to in the long run.”
In terms of the political will in Albania, Leenders noted that Albania has a good track record with implementing GRECO recommendations. She said that in previous rounds, the implementation rate was 93%. This, she said, demonstrates a genuine political will to improve and be better.
When comparing Albania with other countries, Leenders said that no country is perfect. Even those who rank highly for transparency and lack of corruption, such as Sweden, still have issues. But she was clear that there are many benefits to enacting reform against corruption. While corruption often favours those in power, fighting it has its advantages as well.
“You have to communicate these benefits to the political actors. Like with the EU accession process, reforming and going through the chapters and improving, has huge benefits for political figures and the country,” she said.
Exit noted that GRECO had made a large number of recommendations to Albania. This, she said was a positive thing as it gives the government many small ways they can make improvements, rather than giving broad recommendations that may be harder to implement.
“There are things that Albania is doing well. The Integrity Plan written by the Ministry of Justice for example, this can be used as a basis for other ministries.” She called for its swift adoption, taking into account all the risks ministers and political advisors face in the exercise of their duties.
She also said that the HIDDAACI asset declaration platform was a positive mechanism although it’s not functional yet. SPAK also needs to become more efficient and cases referred by HIDAACI should be followed up on properly, she added.
In terms of key priorities for Albania, both of the above feature among them. She added that the politicisation of senior officials in the police force was also an issue.
“When you have politically appointed officials in the State Police or who resign for personal reasons before the end of their first term, every time the government changes, it results in a lack of trust from the public. They may not have confidence in the police,” she observed.
The transitional vetting process taking place in the police also raised concerns. GRECO noted that the process is likely to result in a high number of qualified staff leaving the force, making the exercise of core police functions difficult. They also pointed out that the process did not adequately capture all integrity risks, leading to questions over fairness and integrity.
Overall, Leenders does see hope and said that where there is a will (and she believes there is one in Albania) things will improve.
This interview was conducted as a part of the Week of Integrity 2020.
