From 2027, Albania will be part of the European Union’s Social Cohesion program and in the coming weeks it is expected that Albania will open negotiations on the integration chapters where 70% of European laws are implemented at the local level.

Despite the daily tasks, municipalities must be at the right level to be able to benefit from as many funds as possible from various EU programs by strengthening their EU project offices in order to fundamentally change the life of our cities and strengthen local governance.

Of course, to achieve this, it will require the involvement of all local actors and public consultations with interest groups and a responsible and capable local staff. To this end, work is being done with the ALMA to train staff through the Local Government Academy, to make the process easier and more effective.

The conference with mayors, organized in cooperation with the Hans Seidel Stiftung Foundation, was a positive starting point for the common goal of strong and capable local government.