(DE)POLITICIZATION OF CITIZENS’ CONCERNS ON SECURITY IN ALBANIA’S PUBLIC DEBATE: UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THE MISMATCH Klaudia Koxha 1. INTRODUCTION Albania's membership path to the EU has become one of the most politicized issues in the Albanian political context. Considering the new accession methodology, the process of European integration is even dynamic. With the clustering of the negotiation chapters, candidate countries are expected to advance in several areas simultaneously rather than fulfil the chapters individually in a row. Among the cluster of fundamentals(first chapters to be opened and last to be closed) are issues of security. In this regard, this policy paper will address citizens' perceptions of security, as shown by the 2020 Albanian Security Barometer survey, with a special focus on the socio-political factors that shape these perceptions. Additionally, it will undertake an evaluation of the responsiveness of parties towards citizens' concerns about security, how parties address these concerns, how they engage with security issues, and the ongoing reforms in several state institutions and government branches. The focus on parties is particularly relevant given that in a parliamentary system such as in Albania, parties represent the legislators and thus carry the weight of pushing reforms forward. Despite attempts to encourage civic participation and empower civil society to engage in decision-making, looking at international reports(e.g. Freedom House, Transparency International, OSCE) throughout the years, the assessment of civil liberties in the region remains rather discouraging. In this regard, parties not only represent legislators but in the face of a rather weak civil society, continue to be the most important subjects for carrying out reforms, especially the most important ones at the core of the accession process to the EU. Thus, parties remain the most crucial subject in the politicization of issues and are the main drivers of the overall political debate. 5