Democratic legitimacy and the closed-list system in Albania’s 11 May 2025 Elections
Abstract:
This paper analyzes the limited democratic legitimacy of candidates elected through the closed-list system used in Albania’s parliamentary elections of 11 May 2025. Although the system operates within the electoral legal framework, it creates a structural gap between formal legitimacy and genuine popular representation. The closed-list restricts voters’ ability to select individual candidates, transferring decision-making power almost entirely to party leadership structures. As a result, candidates derive their political status primarily from internal party hierarchies rather than from the direct will of the electorate.
The study argues that this mechanism weakens the substantive meaning of representative democracy by reducing voter influence over electoral outcomes. When the ranking and selection of candidates are predetermined, electoral choice becomes largely symbolic, while real power shifts upward to party elites. This dynamic results in a form of party-centered governance that diminishes the sovereignty of citizens and limits political accountability.
By comparing Albania’s model with several European systems – including mixed-member proportional systems, open-list proportional models, and proportional systems with corrective mechanisms – the paper demonstrates that alternative frameworks provide voters greater control and ensure more balanced representation. These comparisons highlight how the Albanian closed-list produces disproportional outcomes, often transforming votes cast for political ideas into automatic support for predetermined party nominees.
The central conclusion is that candidates elected through the closed-list system possess only formal legitimacy. Their lack of direct voter endorsement creates a democratic deficit that distances the electoral process from the principles of liberal representative democracy and reduces the authenticity of political representation in Albania.
Keywords:
popular sovereignty; party dominance; voter autonomy; representative deficit; electoral accountability
