Albania ranks 83rd out of 139 countries, last in Europe, in the Rule of Law Index, 2020-2021 recently published by the World Justice Project, an international research institute based in the United States of America. 

Albania gets 0.49 points, down 0.01 points from a year ago (zero is the lowest rating and 1 is the highest). Compared to the 2018-2019 ranking, when it was in 71st place (0.51 points), Albania has deteriorated by 12 positions. 

The index measures the implementation of laws in practice, through population surveys and qualified questionnaires, providing original information that reflects the experience and perception of the general public, in 139 countries. The report emphasizes that effective law enforcement reduces corruption, fights poverty and disease, and protects people from major and minor injustices. 

Albania has the worst position in Europe and the region, surpassing Serbia, which so far ranked last. In the 2020-2021 report, Serbia was ranked 81st. North Macedonia has the strongest governance (64th), Bosnia is 72nd (Montenegro and Kosovo are not included in the ranking). 

Albania has a very negative ranking in the corruption indicator, where it is in 105th place out of 139 countries (deteriorating compared to previous years when it was in 93rd place and then 103rd). Albania is perceived to have the highest corruption in Europe and the region. 

Bosnia is in 87th place, North Macedonia in 72nd place, Serbia in 84th place. In general, all countries in the region have taken steps back regarding corruption indicators in recent years. The corruption indicator measures bribery, informal payments, competition in public works contracts, bribery in the judiciary and politics, etc. 

Albania has made a significant deterioration in the indicator of limitation in government power, where it ranks 109th, from 79th position in the 2018-2019 report, positioning itself alongside countries such as Afghanistan, Mozambique, Uganda, Kazakhstan, etc. The second country closest to Albania is North Macedonia, instead of 92. This indicator measures the degree to which those who govern are restricted by law. It measures how independent the judiciary is, how functioning audit agencies are, and how independent they are in exercising control over the government; whether officials are investigated and punished for violations; whether the media are independent; if the officials are elected according to the rules and procedures provided by the constitution. 

Corruption and restrictions on government power are the two indicators where Albania has the most negative ranking in the latest Law Enforcement Index. In open government, the country is in the 82nd position. It is better in the market of fundamental rights (66), and ranking and security (47), albeit with deterioration, from the 31st position that was in 2018-2019. 

For civil law, we are in 92nd place, for the criminal justice (80). The three countries with the best performance in the 2020-2021 report were Denmark (1), Norway (2) and Finland (3); a ranking that remains unchanged. The last three are Congo (137), Cambodia (138) and Venezuela (139), also unchanged compared to the previous rankings.

(Source: Monitor)