Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T15:39:27.879Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The birth of corruption and the politics of anti-corruption in Albania, 1991–2005

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Blendi Kajsiu
Blendi Kajsiu*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Tirana, Albania, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper analyzes the transformation of the signifier “corruption” in the Albanian public sphere during the period 1991–2005 from a discourse analysis approach. The aim is not to trace corruption in its presence and consequences, but to show how different articulations of corruption supported different agendas. More specifically, this paper aims to show how the corruption discourse that dominated Albanian public discussion during the period 1998–2005 served to legitimize a neoliberal order by articulating corruption as inherent to the public sector and to state intervention in the economy. This meant that corruption could be eliminated through neoliberal policies such as privatization and deregulation. Through a discourse analysis of corruption it is possible to politicize the concept of corruption instead of reducing it to a static and inherent feature of Albanian culture and society.

Keywords

corruptionanti-corruptionneoliberalismdiscourseAlbania
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 41 , Issue 6 , November 2013 , pp. 1008 - 1025
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akademia e Shkencave të Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë. 1980. Fjalor i Gjuhes së Sotme Shqipe (Dictionary of Current Albanian Language). Tirana: Instituti i Gjuhësise dhe Letërsisë.Google Scholar
Alimëhilli, Tonin. 1994. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 22 September.Google Scholar
Economies, Anti-corruption Network for Transition. 2005. International Cooperation to Fight Corruption in Southeastern Europe: Achievements, Lessons Learned, And Future Challenges. Paris: Anticorruption Network For Transition Economies.Google Scholar
Apostoli, Gaqo. 1994. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 31 March.Google Scholar
Berisha, Sali. 1999a. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 9 September.Google Scholar
Berisha, Sali. 1999b. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 28 October.Google Scholar
Bezemer, Dirk. 2006. “Growth but Not Development: The Ponzi Economy and its Lessons.” In On Eagle's Wings: The Albanian Economy in Transition, edited by Bezemer, D., 17–33. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.Google Scholar
Çela, Blerim. 1993. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 17 November.Google Scholar
Çela, Blerim. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 9 March.Google Scholar
CIA. 2011. Country Comparison: Distribution of Family Income - Gini Index, The CIA Worldfactbook, Accessed April 20, 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2172rank.html ?countryName=Albania&countryCode=al&regionCode=eu&rank=126#al.Google Scholar
Council of Europe. 2009. Project Against Corruption in Albania (PACA). Strasbourg and Tirana: Council of Europe.Google Scholar
Council of Ministers. 1998. Combating Corruption in Albania: A Comprehensive Reform Program. Republic of Albania: Council of Ministers.Google Scholar
Dobjani, Emir. 2002. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 25 March.Google Scholar
Dokle, Namik. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 8 March.Google Scholar
Commission, European. 2005. Albania: Progress Report 2005. Brussels, 9 November.Google Scholar
Fuga, Artan. 2003. Majtas Jo Djathtas. Tirana: Ora.Google Scholar
Gjordeni, Sotiraq. 1991. ‘Një Analizë më të thellë për të korruptuarit.” Zöri i Popullit, June 18, p. 1.Google Scholar
GRECO. 2002. First Evaluation Round: Evaluation Report on Albania. Strasbourg: Group of States Against Corruption. 12 December.Google Scholar
Hoxha, Artan. 1992. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 2 July.Google Scholar
IDRA. 2008. Corruption in Albania: Perception and Experience, Summary Findings, 24 Tirana: Institute for Development and Research Alternatives.Google Scholar
Kacaj, Dodë. 1991. “Për vete Bllokun për popullin Burgun.” Rilindja Demokratike, August 3, p. 5.Google Scholar
Kaufmann, Daniel, Ryterman, Randi, Zoido-Lobaton, Pablo, Preci, Zef, and Pasha, Auron. 1998. “Governance and Corruption in Albania: Current Problem for Institutional Reforms.” Ekonomia dhe Tranzicioni (Economy and Transition) 17 (3): 5–11.Google Scholar
Keko, Teodor. 1992. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 2 September.Google Scholar
Keko, Teodor. 1993. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 17 November.Google Scholar
Kërçuku, Mustafa. 1997. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 19 November.Google Scholar
Klosi, Blendi. 2002. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament, pp. 3019–20.Google Scholar
Koçi, Bashkim. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 16 March.Google Scholar
Kotkin, Stephen, and Sajo, Andrea, eds. 2002. Political Corruption in Transition: A Skeptic's Handbook, 1–21. Budapest and New Yourk: CEU Press.Google Scholar
Kondi, Thimio. 1999. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 24 March.Google Scholar
Laço, Teodor. 1992. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 1 July.Google Scholar
Law No. 7495. 1991. “On the Organisation of the National Intelligence Service”, Article 1, Tirana, 2 July.Google Scholar
Law No. 7553. 1992. “On Some Changes to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania”, Tirana, 4 February.Google Scholar
Law No. 7658. 1993. “On a Change in the Criminal Code Approved By the Law No 5591, Dated 15 June, 1977”, Tirana, 11 January, Article 1.Google Scholar
Law No. 9275. 2004. “Per Disa Shtesa dhe Ndryshime në Ligjin Nr 7895, Date 27.01.1995, ‘Kodi Penal i Republikës së Shqipërisë', i Ndryshuar”. Tirana, September 16.Google Scholar
Legisi, Ndre. 2001. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 6 March.Google Scholar
Majko, Pandeli. 2002. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 19 February.Google Scholar
Malaj, Arben. 2009. Personal Interview. Tirana, 2 September.Google Scholar
Mathisen, W. Harald 2005. Donor Roles in Face of Endemic Corruption - Albania in the Policy Debate. Norway: U4.Google Scholar
Meksi, Aleksandër. 1992. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 18 April.Google Scholar
Meksi, Aleksandër. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 2 February.Google Scholar
Miller, W., Gr⊘deland, Å., and Koshechkin., T. eds. 2001. A Culture of Corruption? Coping with Government in Post-Communist Europe. Budapest: CEU Press.Google Scholar
Mungiu, Alina. 2006. “Corruption: Diagnosis and Treatement.” Journal of Democracy 17 (3): 86–99.Google Scholar
Musaraj, Smoki. 2008. “Pikepyetje Antropologjike Mbi Korrupsionin.” Polis 6: 4–14.Google Scholar
Myftari, Esat. 1991. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 1 July.Google Scholar
Nano, Fatos. 2003. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 14 April.Google Scholar
Paloka, Alfred. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 16 March.Google Scholar
Pepa, Pjetër. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 18 January.Google Scholar
Presidential Decree 203. 1992. On the Declaration and Verification of Earned Profit (Per Deklarimin dhe Verifikimin e Fitimeve te Realizuara). Tirana, 5 June, 1992. Published in “Journal of Official Acts (Fletorja Zyrtare)” 3, p. 164.Google Scholar
Ruka, Et'hem. 1993. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 29 March.Google Scholar
SELDI. 2002. Corruption Indexes: Regional corruption monitoring in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia. Southeast European Legal Development Initiative (SELDI). Sofia: Vitosha Research. Accessed July 16, 2011. http://www.seldi.net/SELDI_fin_e2.PDF.Google Scholar
Shamata, Halit. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 18 January.Google Scholar
Smilov, Daniel. 2009. “Anti-corruption Bodies as Discourse-controlling Instruments: Experience from Southeast Europe.” In Governments, NGOs and Anti-Corruption: The New Integrity Warriors, edited by Luis De Sousa, Peter Larmour, and Hindess, Barry, 85–101. Lonodon and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
SPAI. 2001. Anti-corruption Measures in Southeastern Europe: Country Reviews and Priorities for Reform. Stability Pact Anti-corruption Initiative (SPAI) Steering Groups. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.Google Scholar
Stefani, Andrea. 2000. “Kumti i luleve te ftohta te Marsit.” Revista XXL, October, cited in Albanistan. Tirana: Botimet Toena. p. 364.Google Scholar
Teta, Perikli. 1995. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 2 February.Google Scholar
World Bank, The. 1997. Helping Countries Combat Corruption: The Role of the World Bank. Washington: The World Bank Group.Google Scholar
Tisne, Martin, and Smilov, Daniel. 2004. From the Ground Up: Assessing the Record of Anticorruption Assistance in Southeast Europe. Centre for Policy Studies. Budapest: Central European University.Google Scholar
Topalli, Jozefina. 2003. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 17 February.Google Scholar
Torfing, Jacob. 2004. New Theories of Discourse: Laclau, Mouffe and Zizek. Oxford and Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.Google Scholar
UNODC. 2011. Corruption in Albania: Bribery as Experienced by the Population. Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Accessed February 15, 2013. http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/corruption/Albania_coiTuption_report_2011_web_small.pdf Google Scholar
USAID. 1999. A Handbook on Fighting Corruption. Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development.Google Scholar
USAID/Albania. 2000. Albania Corruption Reduction Program: Scope of Work. Tirana: USAID/ Albania.Google Scholar
USAID/Albania. 2003. “Parliament Passes Law Promoting Transparency in the Public Sector.” Online Newsletter, 2 November. Accessed September 24, 2012. http://albania.usaid.gov/shfaqart/138/49/Parliament_Passes_Law_Promoting_Transparency_in_Public_Sector.htm Google Scholar
Vukaj, Shaqir. 1996. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 15 February.Google Scholar
Xhepa, Kurt. 1992. Albanian Parliamentary Proceedings. Tirana: Office of Publications, Albanian Parliament. 2 July.Google Scholar