Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania ranks first in the region for public administration reform, according to the European Union’s SIGMA index. He made the remarks during the presentation of the “Merit Ladder” initiative. He said the government aims to strengthen merit-based career progression in public administration.

Rama said he had been sceptical about the administration’s capacity to improve. However, he described the positive assessment from Brussels during Albania’s EU integration process as a welcome surprise. Meanwhile, he said recent public protests had highlighted demands for greater meritocracy. He added that citizens now expect higher-quality public services.

Rama stressed that citizens judge the state through their personal experience with public officials, not through international rankings or government strategies. He said the government had launched a wider transformation process through initiatives called “Besa”, “Pasqyra” (Mirror) and “Prania Besnike” (Trustworthy Presence). The new “Merit Ladder” component draws on an internal survey of Albania’s civil servants.

/a.p./