Yearbook 2010
 Albania. Political stalemate prevailed in Albania at the
beginning of the year as the opposition boycotted
Parliament, thus hindering important reform efforts. The
Socialist Party and its allies demanded recalculation of the
votes in the parliamentary elections, held in June 2009, an
election they lost by barely a margin. Prime Minister Sali
Berisha's right-wing government refused to investigate the
allegations of irregularities.
According to
COUNTRYAAH, after crisis talks and mediation by President Bamir Topi,
the Socialist Party announced in late February that the
boycott would be lifted. Party leader Edi Rama said that the
near-six-year-long refusal to participate in parliamentary
work had had an effect by highlighting the democracy crisis
in the country. The crisis talks were conducted with the
support of the Council of Europe.
But the political clamor continued to cripple the work.
In the spring, almost a year after the election, tens of
thousands of people in Tirana demonstrated with demands for
voice conversion.
The political turmoil set the bar for Albania's continued
approach to the EU. However, a step towards greater
integration came in October, when the European Parliament
gave the go ahead for visa-free travel from Albania into the
EU.
In December, heavy rains caused severe flooding in
northwestern Albania. Over 12,000 people were forced to
leave their homes. NATO sent helicopters and supplies to the
country.
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