strongly backed by the EU and USA – which was expected to mark the turning point for the opening of the accession talks. However, the theoretical green light to the opening has not materialized into practice and there is little chance that it will occur within the year. Instead, a domestic polarized political climate has succeeded in the politicization of the undertaking of policy reforms. This has contributed to rising scepticism among the population about the effectiveness of these reforms, while also affecting public trust in state institutions. No less important is the politicization of enlargement by certain member states, like France and the Netherlands, which has partially contributed to the general disappointment and domestic fatigue. On the one hand, are the member states that see enlargement as important for the Union's geostrategic interests, while on the other are those who desire a normative-based accession perspective. As questioning the progress of Albania on its EU­reform agenda has become an issue of discussion in some European capitals, the Union’s ambiguity is playing out in favour of third countries with a strong interest in edging onto the regional scene. In the light of the present uncertainties and repeated accession setbacks, this policy brief seeks to analyse the extent to which public perception reflects and contrasts the official positioning of Albania in foreign and security policy. The analysis relies on the findings of the 2020 edition of the Albanian Security Barometer as well as primary and secondary sources such as official documents, official statements, reports issued by the EU, and media coverage. The paper is organized into three main sections. It starts with an overview of Albania's obligation to address the key priorities at the domestic level vis-à-vis citizens' perception of the related performance, Then, the focus shifts to the implications of the EU’s internal developments which hinder the accession process of the candidate countries. Finally, the third section compares and contrasts the citizens' perceptions of the influence of external actors like Turkey, China, and the Arab countries and the latter's potential derailing of Albania's EU accession path. The paper concludes that the mixed signals arriving from the EU are neither beneficial nor constructive for Albania's democratization process and the continent's stability and security. Therefore, all actors need to engage in the creation of a new political momentum that can push forward the process. 1.1 ALBANIA’S DOMESTIC REFORMS AND CITIZENS’ PERCEPTION Albania was granted candidate country status in 2014 and its accession path has been littered with obstacles. The long-awaited green light for the opening of the accession talks 5