2.1 The experience of the Western countries Most parliamentary democracies have permanent defence committees, which have powers enshrined in law or regulations regarding the defence budget 16 . Based on the standard practices of the Western countries that we studied, parliaments assess if the funds available for the defence budget are sufficient for the proposed projects and if the priorities for the development of the armed forces have been properly considered. In some countries, parliaments or their defence committees oversee defence procurement and may request detailed information from the ministry of defence about purchases exceeding a certain monetary value. 17 Among the countries we studied for this paper, such rules exist in Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Poland. This ensures not only the efficient allocation of defence funds and the prevention of corruption but also promotes transparency in the use of the budget. This, in turn, helps to build public support for the armed forces by demonstrating that taxpayer money is being spent appropriately and in the interest of national security. In this respect, democratic control of the defence sector contributes to raising awareness in society about the basic right of citizens to know how the government is planning and implementing policies for their security. What is worth noting here is that at the end of the defence budget approval procedures, it is allocated to the armed forces for implementation, while the Ministry of Defence has the right to control how the budget is executed. 2.2 The consequences of the applied model The model applied in Albania has resulted in the inefficient use of the defence budget, which is also reflected in the public's perception. According to the“Albanian Security Barometer – 2022” 18 , when respondents were asked whether Albania should strengthen the Armed Forces, the police, the intelligence services, and the diplomatic service, 97.5% of respondents answered that the Armed Forces should be strengthened. Furthermore, about 88.5% of respondents think that Albania cannot protect its sovereignty by itself. The public’s perception of the strength and ability of the Armed Forces to defend the country is perhaps at historic lows. This perception was influenced by the drastic reduction of existing military capabilities in 2007, with the scrapping of Albania’s entire arsenal of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles, aviation, artillery and naval fleet. 19 According to authorities, the rationale behind this action was that"they 16 Appendix 3, Powers of defence budget control. 17 Appendix 4, Powers concerning defence procurement. 18 “Albanian Security Barometer, National Survey – 2022”, Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance, 2023, http://csdgalbania.org/sq/barometri-i-sigurise-shqiperi-2022/ . 19 Government Decision: Vendimi i Këshillit të Ministrave no. 662, date 4.10.2006“Për heqjen nga armatimi e përdorimi i një pjese të mjeteve luftarake të aviacionit të forcave të armatosura, si dhe për asgjësimin ose çmontimin e shitjen e tyre”. DEMOCRATIC CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE ARMED FORCES | 8