Democracy and Cultural Factors: The Case of Albania

Abstract

In the context of democracy, the world is divided between nations who are thought to be democratic par excellence, while others embark on a challenging path to democracy. Albanians have sought for democracy since the fall of dictatorial regime in 1990. The pursuit of this ideal has been impaired by substantial governmental challenges in key areas of the country. Nowadays, concerns have arisen even in the most democratic countries, because of the discontent that exists among their citizens. In regions like the Balkans, a new term has emerged: “stabilitocracy”. This concept seeks to examine the complex reasons behind countries that appear to be democratic but struggle to fully embrace democratic principles. In these nations, the three fundamental pillars of democracy as the rule of law, human rights, free and fair elections, and fair representation by state authorities, remain vulnerable. However, in the Albanian context, these elements have remained unstable since the aftermath of the dictatorial regime. Scholars analyze the fact that democracy in a country is influenced by their culture and economic development. When either of those components fails to align with the democratic ideal, democracy will be at risk, or it will lead the ground for the creation of an alternative political regime. This study searches into Albania’s path towards democracy, with a focused exploration of the factors shaping this unique form of “democracy” that is emerging in the current context.

Received: 23 September 2023 / Accepted: 30 October 2023 / Published: 23 November 2023