From Law to Practice: Explaining the Implementation Gap in Whistleblower Protection at the Local Level in Albania

Abstract

Corruption in Albania is pervasive at all levels of public administration. Whistleblowing is one of the most effective ways to prevent, uncover, and eradicate corruption, since people working within the organisation or who have a close relationship with it have access to information about illegal or harmful actions that would be inaccessible to outsiders. Albania has recently adopted a new law on whistleblowing and whistleblower protection, aligning its legislation with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. However, the legal regulation of whistleblowing is not new in the country, as a dedicated law was approved in 2016.  Using a qualitative and analytical research approach, this study seeks to identify the reasons why the practical enforcement of Law No. 60/2016 remained weak, particularly at the local government level, where few reports were submitted. While cultural factors contributed to shortcomings in implementation, the main obstacles were institutional weaknesses and individual constraints. The findings suggest that, for whistleblowing mechanisms to be effective, closing legal gaps alone is insufficient in the absence of effective enforcement and the development of organisational cultures based on trust and integrity.

Received: 17 January 2026 / Revised: 24 February 2026 / Accepted: 7 March 2026 / Published: 25  March 2026