Freedom of Information and Citizens’ Perception in Albania

Abstract

Transparency and the right to information are among the most important components of good governance, strong and stable democracy, citizen’s participation and the fight against corruption. The right to information is a constitutional right that is guaranteed not only by freedom of information law but also from the Albanian constitution. This legal framework is ranked 6th in the world and guarantees not only citizens right to access public information but also obliges institutions to proactively disclose information. Beside the fact that the Albanian legal framework is a very good one, it is very important to know citizens perception regarding the necessity of this right. For this reason a survey was conducted and the data show that citizen education and their contact with the law are not enough for the proper implementation of this law. Public awareness is needed not only to explain how to exercise the right to access information but especially to explain the importance of this law in the fight against corruption.