Suspected Albanian parties' finances, millions' lobby campaigns

News published by the American magazine “Mother Jones” was a political bomb in Albania.

According to this magazine, in favour of a lobby campaign for the Democratic Party conducted by Nick Muzin Company has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by a shadow firm Biniteta Trade. The Democratic Party strongly rejected the article. She accepts the contract with Nick Muzin, but stresses that her payment has been only $25,000 a month.

Hanging Out

Democrats accuse political opponent of slander campaigning against PD. But Socialist Party Secretary-General Taulant Balla disagrees. The offer of money affects national security, he tells Deutsche Welle.

The “This issue is a matter affecting Albania's national security, given a long-standing trend of Russia to extend its influence. Perhaps Albania seemed the only immune country so far. ”

A connection with explosive substances, if you recall that Albanians have traditionally not seen Russia as any particular nation of friendship with the Soviets at the time of dictatorship. Are the Russians even snooping in Albania? Politologist Africa Krasniqi stresses that in Albania “is widely acknowledged that no Albanian political party represents Russian influence in politics.” The effect of this relationship is more political, he says. For the time being, the issue of financial resources for the DP's lobby campaign has been put on hold, but not too far behind.

The Luxury Bill of the State Budget

While the storm set up for unexplained sources of funding should have turned into a real hurricane until Albanian public opinion knows how and from whom are political parties financed, to whom the voter gives the vote? But silence sometimes speaks more. It is known that the transparency of political party financing is an old problem in Albania, a really failed problem.

For years, political parties give luxury sums to lobby abroad or to organise the rally campaign that in a poor country like Albania sound more like ridicule to people in need. About 2m euros granted the three main political lobby parties in the United States in recent years, according to the Institute of Political Studies in Albania. Meanwhile, the Albanian state budget provides an average (according to the election year) about $2m (about $1.6m euros) for all political parties in Albania. Where does so much money come from?

Institute for Political Studies Director Africa Krasniqi, who has been monitoring this problem for years, finds a clientlist and abusive system. ” Formally, parties declare funding and spending, but without specifying payments. The numbers of statements outside the system (without transparency and regular statements at the CEC) are many larger. ”

Lack of transparency of funding ʹ regional problem

A problem not only affects Albania. Johanna Deimel, expert at the Southeast European Association, stresses for DW that it is very difficult to find the source of the flow of money entering the parties of the Balkan countries. The problem of underground or illegal party financing and lack of transparency are among the main problems in the region. Money flows either directly to politicians or parties, or not directly through other channels, such as funding support media or important and loyal firms. ”

KQZ-Tiger toothless

The most important institution of control for political parties in Albania is the Central Election Commission. But he's more like a toothless pet. And how it might be different, when its members are determined by the parties proportionally, and then this commission appoints audits, who will control the parties. Who bites the hand you feed?

Parties act like they control themselves, but they actually create a closed circuit. More favourable conditions to continue the old hide-and-seek game of funding are hardly available. Politologist Africa Krasniqi, who has attended even cases when Albanian deputies spoke out for hundreds of thousands of euros paid for to parties, without any concrete consequences, is sharply critical. The main reason for this situation is the political consensus to avoid financial transparency because of the high costs of electoral campaigns and the informal market operating in these campaigns. ”

Problems were also acknowledged by CEC chairman Clement Zguri before the Parliamentary Law Commission a few days ago. The political parties somehow try to hide, while the institution will require transparency... we will have work. ”

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Anyone who wants transparency must be directed to the law, someone can say. But Albanian parties seem to be coming to their aid even the law. “The legal base is half, based on formal verification of the declaration, and without concrete force verification at the source of funding, the legitimacy of funding, and interest conflicts”, criticises Africa Krasniqi.

And O The SEU acknowledges the problems with legislation in a proposal for Deutsche Welle, stressing that there are still gaps in legislation that must be met. “The law does not guarantee sufficient transparency for reporting campaign financing, as it does not impose reporting obligations prior to election day.” OSCE requests “The CEC, financial experts and voters must have full access to information about funding. The political parties' financing should come to light, so Albanian citizens will be informed who finances and who influences their country's political scene. ”

Fair but fair demand that in Albania sounds like a distant dream, as far away as EU membership seems at the moment. Because without any light coming into the area of financing Albanian parties, so that the public can be assured that there is no hand in criminal groups, the EU will keep Albania on the threshold, but will not put it in.