IRI Albania Poll Finds Support for Fighting Corruption, Higher Expectations from Municipal Leaders, Room to Grow for Opposition Parties

Tirana, Albania – A newly released Albania public opinion poll by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) reveals strong support for fighting corruption, higher expectations from municipal leaders, and a desire for opposition parties to better communicate their governing vision with their constituents. 

The poll found that 69% of Albanians trust or somewhat trust the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), an independent judicial entity whose mission is combatting corruption, to do its job free from political influence.

“It’s encouraging to see that the majority of the Albanian people support anti-corruption efforts being conducted across the country,” said Paul McCarthy, Director for Europe at IRI. “Albania’s future is based on the success of its work combatting corruption, which is especially challenging given the country’s highly polarized political environment.” 

Additionally, the poll showed that Albanians expect more from elected officials and their political parties at the municipal level. Only 22% of adults indicate that they have heard from majority party councilors and only 12% have received some form of communication from opposition councilors since the 2023 municipal elections. Further, 89% feel the opposition members of municipal councils need to talk more about their views on local issues, and 91% feel that ruling party members of those councils need to do the same. 

The survey also showed that more than any other group, Partia Demokratike (PD) has the most to gain by strengthening their relationship with voters. While the poll showed that the Socialists would win the municipal elections if they were held this weekend, 69% of their supporters would consider supporting another party if they were to successfully communicate their goals to voters.

“It is in the hands of the opposition to deliver a message that moves citizens beyond the stale narratives of the last 10 years,” said McCarthy. “There is room to grow if the opposition works with their municipal branches to create this.

Methodology   

The survey was conducted by IDRA Research & Consulting on behalf of the Center for Insights in Survey Research of the International Republican Institute throughout Albania. Fieldwork was conducted from November 17 – December 12, 2023, through the Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) technique, administered through face-to-face interviews in respondents’ homes. ​The sample of 1,798 Albanians was selected via a multistage stratified cluster selection, and the achieved sample was weighted for age groups, region, gender, and urbanicity according to the 2011 Census parameters. The margin of error for the mid-range of the full sample does not exceed ±2.8 points at the 95% confidence level. ​The response rate was 54%.