Albania has marked a decline in the level of democracy during 2020.
In the report of the international organization for democracy, Freedom House, it was evaluated with 3.75 points, while last year with 3.82 points.
According to the report, Albania, which again this year is ranked in the category of hybrid regimes/democracies in transition, marked a decline in civil society and independent media.
Gjergji Vurmo, program director of the Institute for Democracy and Mediation in Tirana, author of the chapter on Albania in the report "Countries in Transition", said that the level of democracy in Albania in 2020 is the same as in 2013.
"What is noticed is that the overall grade of Albania is at the level of the grade that Albania received in 2013. So democracy in Albania is at the same levels that Albania had in 2013, according to the same report of Freedom House", Vurmo told to VOA.
The rating for civil society fell from 5 to 4.75 points.
"The grade reduction is dedicated to a series of acts which have limited the space in which civil society operates, the space of action of civil society with a series of restrictions in terms of the right of assembly, and even the right to expression," Vurmo said.
More specifically, the decline is attributed to violence between protesters and law enforcement in May, during escalations over the demolition of the National Theater and the killing of young Klodian Rasha by police forces for breaking Covid restrictions.
The rating for the state of media independence fell from 3.75 to 3.50.
"There has been a deterioration in the dimension of media freedom, which for several years has marked some very negative developments, but apparently last year, these developments were affected by the pandemic, and other restrictions, but also by the partial entry into force of the anti-defamation package, one of the two laws which entered into force, despite the fact that has not been materialized concretely", Vurmo said.
He recalled that there have been cases where journalists have been prosecuted on the grounds of spreading panic.
"The Albanian media environment, which has long been weakened by oligarchic control as in most of the region, has also been affected by the increased use of strategic trials against public participation," the report said.
In addition to the decline in the categories of democratic governance and the electoral process, the two lowest-rated indicators are corruption and the independence of the judiciary: 3.25 and 2.75, respectively, the same level as a year ago.
The report notes as ongoing problems the aggravated political situation, corruption, and business pressure on the government.
But also praises steps towards justice reform, although it is said to have been slow.
"We have identified very positive developments such as the establishment of new justice structures, or other developments within some dimensions, such as the dimension of national governance," Vurmo said.
The publication of this year's report coincides with a time when it has become clear that the Socialist Party in Albania will govern for another term.
"The current majority has made history in this sense, it has won a third term, it has even won a second term in a row, which has not happened before in the pluralistic history of Albania, as the only party," said Vurmo.
The assessment of their performance will be analyzed in future Freedom House reports. Mr. Vurmo sees as a challenge the clearly outlined tendencies of strengthening authoritarianism that threatens the Albanian democracy, the democratic institutions and processes, and the Albanian society itself.
"I would call on all political actors, but not only political but also other actors of Albanian society to read this report carefully, as it is really an alarm bell for the dangers that present some developments in some areas of the report relating to democracy in Albania, as well as for Albania's offer to join the European Union and other reform processes", he said.