The Council of Ministers approved yesterday the creation of the Local Government Academy. The structure will take the form of a non-profit organization that plans to train municipal administration at all levels, starting from mayors to employees.
The funding for this academy will be provided by the contribution of all municipalities through quotas, while the government will cover half of the costs for the first three years. The agreement with the municipalities will be mediated by Arbjan Mazniku, Minister of State for Local Government, who has recently been labeled as the “mayor” of Albania.
Agron Haxhimali, head of the Albanian Association of Municipalities, stated publicly today that this mechanism appears to be an attempt to shift the role of independent associations and replace them with a centralized government body.
We recall that the country's municipalities have recently been targeted by a wave of "dismissals" by Prime Minister Rama, an action that has raised concerns about the separation of central and local government.
Afrim Krasniqi, head of the Institute of Political Studies, told Citizens that this is a case that shows us how dangerous it is when the power of a political party and a politician exceeds the legal limits given by the Albanian Constitution.
"Mayors of municipalities are dependent on political will and to some extent have been subject to this political will of the Prime Minister. In this specific case, one of the municipalities will need to address the Constitutional Court and there should be specific cases from the Associations of Municipalities and there should be action by the Department of Public Administration and the commissioners who protect public and civil servants, human rights and the concepts of the rule of law in Albania." - he underlined.
In principle, this center will help increase the capacities and performance of staff, in the context of EU integration, but experts express doubts about this. Krasniqi explains to Citizens that this government initiative comes within the framework of a campaign to prepare local governments for the upcoming local elections in Albania.
Krasniqi emphasizes that we have an overlap of structures, as we currently have the Albanian school of public administration, the school of principals, and various mandatory courses for administration.
"The European Union has been investing for years in coordinating integration issues for local governments in Albania, opening local offices and continuous training, there are major international projects, much larger in budget than the new project" – adds Krasniqi.
Krasniqi suggests that it would be appropriate for the government to present a draft strategy to Parliament, where there should be a debate on the challenges of local government in the next 10 years.
"Whether it is the history of the shepherds' academy or the history of the academy of public administration and local government, these are initiatives that should be taken with caution, they are temporary, they are not long-term, I do not think they will be effective, but rather filling the daily void of political acts" – concludes Krasniqi.
The state trains the state
This is not the only academy that has recently emerged in the country. The Socialist Party government seems to have continuously contributed to the rehabilitation of its political caste, it is not known whether this is related to the fact that a significant part of its identifying figures are under investigation, or to the unjustifiable whims of the leader.
From June 20 to July, a political academy was held where the new SP deputies, who won the mandate of deputy in the parliamentary elections of May 11, were trained.
This academy offered five modules, which dealt with the role of the MP and the ethics of representation, the functioning of parliament, inter-institutional and international relations, political communication, as well as "SP and vision 2030". While the lecturers were names with political contributions to the party such as Fatmir Xhafaj, Erjon Braçe and Niko Peleshi, Olta Xhaçka, etc.
According to the Socialist Party, this form of intellectual education will influence the creation of a new generation of MPs who will contribute with dedication to the vision for the coming years, until 2030.
A year ago, in April 2024, the Political Academy of the Socialist Party of Albania was established. Applications were opened for all young people, to learn more about the history, ideas and movements of progressive parties. Often young people from this academy have contributed to the production of film materials for government propaganda, often "replacing" the role of the media in function. This political academy, which was initially used for young people, is now being used to train young deputies, using the same online channels.
In 2021, the idea of the Minister of Agriculture Frida Krifca, to create an Academy for the country's shepherds. Despite the reactions it aroused, the government came to the defense of this idea, but it never materialized.
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
