This article was created by
Kristiin Jets, e-Governance Academy
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IDEA report: Navigating digital democracy in Albania and North Macedonia
The new International IDEA report Navigating the European Union’s Digital Regulatory Framework: Part 2 – Perspectives on Electoral Processes in EU Candidate Countries, analyses how Albania and North Macedonia, alongside Moldova and Ukraine, are aligning their electoral systems with EU’s practices.
Developed under the project Closing the Digital Gap on Elections in EU Accession and funded by Stiftung Mercator, the study builds on an earlier volume introducing the EU’s “digital rulebook” – a set of landmark regulations (e.g. the Digital Services Act, the Artificial Intelligence Act, the European Media Freedom Act, and GDPR) that protect democratic values in the digital environment.
Part 2 moves from theory to practice, focusing on how EU candidate countries are translating these standards into national contexts and strengthening their institutions to ensure transparency in electoral processes.
Shared regional challenges
While candidate countries are making tangible progress in aligning their national legislation with the EU’s acquis, implementation is still at an early stage.
Common challenges:
- Most countries have advanced in implementing GDPR but are still in the early phases of adapting the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, and the European Media Freedom Act
- Electoral authorities understand the scale of digital threats but need clearer mandates, structured cooperation, and dedicated resources to address them effectively.
- Agencies responsible for data protection, media regulation, and cybersecurity continue to lack both financial and human resources, incl. proper expertise.
- Voluntary codes of conduct are not enough to ensure transparency in online campaigning and ethical use of AI.
Country perspectives
Albania
Albania has taken notable steps towards aligning with EU data protection and cybersecurity standards, adopting new laws on personal data and cybersecurity.
However, digital campaigning remains largely unregulated, leaving online political advertising, third-party financing, and AI-generated content outside the scope of electoral law.
The 2025 parliamentary elections was a good example of these shortcomings. Widespread use of unlabelled political ads and synthetic content highlighted the urgency for a binding legal framework and stronger institutional oversight.
Although the Central Election Commission introduced a voluntary Code of Conduct on Digital Campaigns, compliance remained weak, signalling the need for stronger measures to ensure transparency and fairness in the online space.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia has strengthened electoral transparency through new media regulations and soft-law mechanisms encouraging responsible digital campaigning.
Despite this progress, disinformation, foreign interference, and limited enforcement of online advertising transparency continue to challenge the integrity of elections.
While policymakers actively follow developments such as the EU’s DSA and AI Act, capacity and coordination gaps are still present between regulatory bodies.
To learn more, read the full International IDEA report here:
