Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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195. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to allegations of election impropriety in Albania by some international observers; the actions he will take to engage with officials in that country in relation to these allegations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37198/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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196. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he will take at a European Council level to discuss the recent election results in Albania; if allegations of election impropriety from some international observers is on the agenda for the next Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37199/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together.

Parliamentary elections were held in Albania on 11 May 2025, which resulted in a fourth consecutive victory for the Socialist Party, led by Prime Minster Edi Rama. At this time, a discussion on the conduct of the election is not scheduled to take place at the European Council.

The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights established an Election Observation Mission following an invitation from Albanian authorities. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains and administers Ireland’s Election Observation Roster, members of which play an important role in the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In this instance, Ireland seconded thirteen Roster members to support this OSCE Election Observation Mission.

A final report of this Electoral Observation Mission is yet to be published. However, the OSCE released a statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions immediately following the elections on 12 May. This statement notes that the election on 11 May 2025 was competitive and professionally conducted, that candidates were generally able to campaign freely, and that the electoral administration process was managed in an inclusive and transparent manner. However, this statement also refers to allegations of pressure on public employees, cases of intimidation of opposition supporters, and the misuse of patronage networks. The statement also confirms that key recommendations from previous OSCE and Venice Commission reports relating to conduct of elections in Albania remain unaddressed.

As an EU candidate country, Albania has undertaken significant internal reforms across government in order to align with EU accession criteria. The accession criteria are the essential conditions all candidate countries must satisfy to become an EU member state. These criteria include a requirement for the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.

Ireland supports and recognises the steps that Albania has taken with regard to internal reforms. Through our bilateral contacts and engagement at EU level, we will continue to call on Albania to align with all EU accession criteria and implement OSCE and Venice Commission electoral recommendations.