Paulina Chavez
Press Secretary
[email protected]
As a step towards strengthening election integrity, the majority of political parties running for elections -- mainstream and new entrants -- have signed a Code of Conduct on Digital Campaigns ahead of May 11, 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania.
NDI Albania joined forces with the International IDEA, Helsinki Rule of Law Center, and the Central Election Commission (CEC) in drafting the Code, with input from political parties and civil society organizations. The Code sets voluntary standards to promote transparency, fairness, privacy, safety and ethical behavior in the digital space. This initiative draws inspiration from the IDEA International's efforts in Netherlands and 2024 European Elections.
At the signing event hosted by the CEC, State Election Commissioner Ilirian Celibashi praised the commitment of political parties to self-regulation and demanded that the document not remain only formal, but be implemented and encourage appropriate behavior of political leaders for a fair and honest electoral competition. “We cannot be hypocrites and not accept reality,” he said, adding that “being a voluntary commitment, what the CEC can do is bring this document to attention.”
NDI Albania's Resident Director Ana Kovacevic Kadovic emphasized the Code as "a reflection of what's possible when institutions, political leaders, and civic partners come together with a shared purpose: to safeguard election integrity in a complex digital world."
Blerta Hoxha, International IDEA’s Programme Manager for Western Balkans, praised the commitment of all stakeholders and stated “By proactively committing to a more ethical digital campaign, these parties align themselves with their counterparts in the European Parliament,”.
The Code addresses critical areas such as political finance transparency, combating disinformation and hate speech, ethical use of AI and campaign technologies, and respect in digital discourse. Importantly, it marks not just a pledge, but the start of a longer-term process to foster a culture of responsible digital campaigning in Albania.
Since 2016, NDI, in Albania, initially with funding from USAID, and continuous support from the British Embassy in Tirana, has worked with the CEC, political parties, Parliament, political finance watchdogs from local civil society and media, and international partners to safeguard election integrity by increasing transparency in political finance. The Code builds on that work—it is a timely, collective action towards a healthier, fairer and more ethical online campaign environment.
NDI remains committed to supporting political actors in the implementation of this Code, in collaboration with IDEA, the CEC, and civil society partners.
