Papers by Oriona Mucollari
This paper explores the phenomenon of populism and its impact on the democratic processes in Alba... more This paper explores the phenomenon of populism and its impact on the democratic processes in Albania. The spread of populism represents one of the most acute challenges to Albanian democracy. To understand the dynamics of populist strategies and behavior, it is crucial to analyze the relationship between populism and the media, and to discuss the phenomenon of "media populism". More than two decades after the transition from communism, democracy in Albania remains fragile. Freedom House labels Albania 'transitional or hybrid regime' and international organizations have expressed concern about the progress of Albania. Populism, characterized by its appeal to the emotions and grievances of the people, has gained prominence in recent years, posing significant challenges to the stability and development of democratic institutions in Albania. Through an examination of the historical and socio-political context of Albania, this paper analyzes the rise of populism, its consequences for democracy, and proposes potential strategies to mitigate its negative effects. Drawing upon scholarly research and case studies, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of populism's influence on Albania's democracy and suggest actionable recommendations for safeguarding democratic values and institutions.
Eunomia. Rivista semestrale di Storia e Politica Internazionali, Jul 19, 2017
Albania's local governments are characterized by significant disparities in size and capacity. Th... more Albania's local governments are characterized by significant disparities in size and capacity. The challenge of fragmentation includes not only economic efficiency but also the administrative and technical capacities of local governments to provide services in an efficient and effective way. As international experience proves, the fragmentation of local government systems is related to the extent of financial decentralization. It is apparent that larger municipalities are able to carry out a wider scope of functions than smaller municipalities. The regional development policy is a new area of public policy in Albania. This research will focus on the examination of the system of local government in Albania, which show that the requirement of the regional level is also supported by the need for better coordination and planning in the framework of the EU policy enlargement. Albania need an integrated, coherent regional policy based on its growing concern over the widening gaps in socioeconomic performance and fortunes between different parts of the country. As Albania seeks to fully integrate its economy and its markets in the global context and, in particular in the EU single market, there is an imperative to ensure that all areas of the country are capable of competing.
Na Albânia, a estrutura patriarcal da sociedade dominou as relacoes de genero na esfera privada. ... more Na Albânia, a estrutura patriarcal da sociedade dominou as relacoes de genero na esfera privada. Durante a era comunista, o Estado albanes impos uma outra estrutura na esfera publica, que promoveu oportunidades paritarias entre homens e mulheres em materia de educacao e mercado de trabalho. Deste modo, as mulheres puderam assumir posicoes importantes tambem na esfera da vida publica. Todavia, as mulheres do regime comunista incumbia tambem a responsabilidade da gestao da familia e, sobretudo, dos filhos. As transformacoes socioeconomicas no curso dos anos noventa fizeram reemergir os estereotipos de genero e velhas estruturas patriarcais. Por isso, atualmente, encontra-se aberto na Albânia o debate sobre politicas de inclusao e de tutela dos direitos das mulheres, no sentido da promocao de uma cultura de direitos atenta as questoes de genero.
Jindal global law review, Apr 1, 2018
Corruption occurs in all countries regardless of the level of social and economic development. Th... more Corruption occurs in all countries regardless of the level of social and economic development. There is a high correlation between corruption and absence of respect for human rights and between corruption and undemocratic practices. Corruption alienates citizens from their government. There is also a high correlation between anti-corruption, good governance and public services. This paper will discuss how corruption affects good governance and public services in Albania. The relationship between central and local governments in Albania has always been fragile. The delegation of the competences from the central to the local government should be seen as a general benefit. A partial delegation of competences or fake delegation of competencies will be a problem for both central and local units. A partial delegation will lead to scarce public services and will give space for corrupt practices. Decentralization of the competencies will only be successful if local authorities can engage in political dialogue with central governments to promote their interests and cooperate among themselves. Strong involvement by all local government units is essential for the success of this process. Cooperation and coordination between central and local governments has been problematic as it is largely directed by political affiliation and influence. Improving this relationship is necessary to achieve constructive dialogue and institutional cooperation between the central agencies and local governments units. Intergovernmental relations will be improved through the establishment of institutional mechanisms of dialogue as well as the adoption of relevant legislation. This paper will discuss various anti-corruption strategies adopted in Albania.
In Albania, the structure's patriarchal of society dominated gender relations in the private ... more In Albania, the structure's patriarchal of society dominated gender relations in the private sphere. During the communist era, the Albanian state imposed another structure in the public sphere, which promoted parity opportunities between men and women in education and the labor market. Thus, women could assume important positions in the sphere of public life. However, women of the communist regime also incumbent on the family management responsibility, and especially the children. Socioeconomic transformations in the course of the nineties did reemerge gender stereotypes and old patriarchal structures. So, currently, is opened Albania the debate about policies of inclusion and protection of women's rights in order to promote a culture of rights attentive to gender issues. Resumo: Na Albânia, a estrutura patriarcal da sociedade dominou as relações de gênero na esfera privada. Durante a era comunista, o Estado albanês impôs uma outra estrutura na esfera pública, que promoveu o...
The Joint Reader was developed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights and the South Ea... more The Joint Reader was developed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights and the South East European Law Schools Network within the project „Legal Protection against Discrimination in South-East Europe” supported by German Cooperation and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is based on the lectures held during the Winter School that was implemented at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade in January 2018. The Winter School provided students with an overview about the concepts, forms, areas and grounds of discrimination defined at international and European level, from a comparative perspective of South- Eastern European countries. Students gained insights into protection mechanisms against discrimination, procedural aspects of discrimination cases and possible remedies for persons affected by discrimination. They also got the opportunity to actively involve themselves in discussions and workshops aiming at the practical ap...
The Joint Reader was developed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights and the South Ea... more The Joint Reader was developed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights and the South East European Law Schools Network within the project „Legal Protection against Discrimination in South-East Europe” supported by German Cooperation and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is based on the lectures held during the Winter School that was implemented at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade in January 2018. The Winter School provided students with an overview about the concepts, forms, areas and grounds of discrimination defined at international and European level, from a comparative perspective of South- Eastern European countries. Students gained insights into protection mechanisms against discrimination, procedural aspects of discrimination cases and possible remedies for persons affected by discrimination. They also got the opportunity to actively involve themselves in discussions and workshops aiming at the practical ap...
Academicus International Scientific Journal, Feb 10, 2012
The current Albanian Constitution (1998) defines communes and municipalities (local governments) ... more The current Albanian Constitution (1998) defines communes and municipalities (local governments) as the basic units of local governments. Local governments are legal entities and perform all the duties of self-government, with the exception of those that the law gives to other units. There are a total of 373 local governments units, consisting of 65 municipalities and 308 communes. While municipalities govern urban areas and the communes rural areas, there is no substantive legal distinction between them. The fiscal decentralization reform in Albania has addressed the issue of adequate local recourses proportional to the competences. The decentralization of functions were supported with an increase of financing opportunities either through the increase of transfers from the state budget or by adopting the new system of local taxes and fees, the latter one by providing total discretion to the local government in setting local tariff policies to cover the cost of their services. Unfunded mandates can represent a risk if not addressed in an appropriate manner. In this article we are going to discuss about the local resources as instruments to increase the autonomy of the local governments versus the resources from the central government. The balance between the resources from the central government and the local own revenue should be, as much as possible equal.
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Papers by Oriona Mucollari