THE ALBANIAN PUBLIC'S TRUST IN SECURITY: STUMBLING BLOCKS TO EU NEGOTIATIONS Introductory Note Security is one of the defining aspects of any rule of law society and a fundamental function of the state. For this reason, the EU Security Strategy has defined security as a crucial aspect and precondition for economic and social development. On the other hand, public opinion is important in a democracy as the people are the ultimate source of political power. In 2019 the Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance conducted the first edition of the Security Barometer in Albania. The Security Barometer is designed to collect data on public attitudes and perceptions on a range of issues related to security. Surveys such as this provide a mechanism to succinctly present the views of the mass public on government and the political leaders who are making decisions that will affect society. The Albanian Security Barometer has provided, for the first time, a bridge between security policymaking and delivery and the concerns and expectations of the citizens. The publication of findings and the discussions with policymakers and practitioners have already made the Security Barometer a reference for the media and academia. While the Security Barometer provides a wealth of data on citizens perception and attitudes on a broad range of security-related aspects such as internal and external security threats, the performance of security and justice institutions, the relevance and effectiveness of security policies, it stops short of making a deeper interpretation of these data. This is meant to allow for different stakeholders to interpret the data and make nuanced analyses, assessments, and policy decisions accordingly. In this vein, this publication brings a collection of policy papers that draw on data from the Security Barometer as well as other related primary and secondary sources, to provide in­depth analyses on three specific issues: 1. The citizens trust in security institution, 2. Democratic accountability of security institutions in their role as security providers, 3. On the challenges facing Albania with regards to meeting security and human rights obligations and benchmarks in the process of the EU negotiations. These topics are only a few of the many policy questions that the Security Barometer sets out to explore. Important security issues such as; corruption and organized crime, terrorism and violent extremism, collective security in the framework of NATO and EU umbrellas and the influence of rising global and regional powers, good governance of the security sector and policymaking in the security field, or public political discourse on security matters that the Security Barometer tackles remain to be further explored. This collection of policy analyses is meant to contribute to the broader policy discussion on these topics but also to encourage the use of the Security Barometer as a data platform for similar analyses on other topics. The upcoming Albanian Security Barometer 2020 will provide a new set of data that shall contribute to adding a layer to the analyses by examining the trends over the two years on the issues and themes explored. 4