THE ALBANIAN PUBLIC'S TRUST IN SECURITY: STUMBLING BLOCKS TO EU NEGOTIATIONS The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces of the Republic of Albania. This is exercised in the following manner: ● In the state of peace: The President exercises his competencies through the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense. ● In the state of war: The President exercises his competences either through a Commander of the Armed Forces. directly or The president has other competencies including the awarding of ranks and the promotion of people to the ranks of Commander of the Land, Air and Naval forces(alongside the proposal of the MoD), the promotion or sacking of high ranking personnel(with the proposal of the PM and the MoD), and the awarding of decorations. The president can also decide on the placement and dispersal of the Armed Forces in times of peace. 10 The president is also the leader of the Commission on National Security. This is an advisory body that serves to provide the president with support in his duties as the commander of the Armed Forces. The president has the right to summon this council at any moment in which it is deemed to be expedient. The council can treat all matters of security, defense, weapons control, and any other related field. Considering the problematic relationship between the government and the president regarding political matters, it is not surprising to claim that this institutional framework has been frail and highly politicized. Take for example a recent incident when the president organized a protest against the government in which he proclaimed that he would disperse the parliament if the government did not implement his latest presidential decree. In his speech, the president reminded the prime minister that he was the commander of the armed forces, suggesting that any institutional framework in which the government and president would be expected to work together could not function. 11 By contrast, following the COVID crisis, the situation completely changed. The president summoned the council several times to discuss the management of the crisis. This is worth noting, as before the pandemic the council had rarely gathered and had served as an arcane institution that existed mostly as a formality. The Council of Ministers has the duties and responsibilities to prepare and present the Military Strategy and the National Security Strategy to parliament. Besides, the CoM can propose to parliament changes to the limit of personnel, the wages and economic treatment of military can approve the changes to uniforms, symbols, and flags of the armed forces can approve 10 Law no. 64/2014. On the Powers and Authorities for the Control of the Armed Forces. As Amended. Article 9 11 News Article on the protest lead by the president: https://a2news.com/2020/03/02/meta-nenshkruan-dekretin-nese-nuk-zbatohet-betohem-se-do-te­shperndaje-parlamentin/ 19