The “Political Academy 2023” concludes, which is based on the program “Supporting Democracy in the Western Balkans – Progress and Connecting Bridges of Cooperation” in collaboration with the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation, with a tailored curriculum that includes two intensive and interactive modules, designed as a combination of theoretical presentations and practical cases for participants.
The formation of future political leaders is an important aspect of improving the policy-making process. Through capacity building at the national level, the Political Academy 2023 aims to foster critical thinking, train, identify and promote individuals who have ambitions and wish to be an active part of political life in the country. Through the Political Academy, participants had the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the complex political, social, and economic environment and to become familiar with the important process of integration into the European Union. The objective of the Political Academy is to provide participants with knowledge and technical expertise to enhance their abilities to formulate accurate political arguments.
The second and final module of the 2023 Political Academy took place on September 30 – October 1, 2023 in Durrës, Albania. This module was opened with a speech by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Ledjon Shahini and was greeted by Ms. Jelenca Simic, Program Manager for the partner organization Kalevi Sorsa Foundation. Prof. Assoc. Gentian Elezi, University of Tirana (Institute of European Studies) held the session on the history of Albania’s European integration and accession negotiations, paying special attention to the negotiation chapters and the negotiation strategy with European institutions.
The second day of the module began with numerous discussions regarding the challenges of integration and the prospects of accession to the European Union for Albania. In the framework of the cooperation with the Finnish organization, the first session was held by the Finnish Ambassador to Kosovo, Mr. Matti Nissinen. In this session, held in English, the focus was on European Integration and political cooperation from the period of the European crisis to the development of the Russia-Ukraine war and the possible perspective of Ukraine’s integration together with the countries of the Western Balkans Region.
At the closing of the Political Academy 2023, Ms. Romina Kuko, Deputy Minister of Interior and also part of the Foundation’s board of directors, and Mr. Julian Hodaj, Deputy Minister of Interior, held discussions on the Chapters of the European Integration Negotiations (Respectively Chapter 22: Regional Policies and Coordination of Structural Instruments; and Chapter 24: Justice, Freedom and Security)
At the end of the training, a certificate distribution ceremony took place, where participants were free to express their comments and evaluation of the Political Academy 2023 program.
