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Corruption ranks among the main concerns of citizens, while the majority considers the creation of SPAK as the greatest achievement of justice reform. Trust in the institution remains high, while over half of Albanians say they would leave a party that aims to weaken it.
Albanians continue to consider SPAK as the most important achievement of justice reform and one of the institutions that enjoys the highest level of trust in the country. This is one of the main conclusions of the national study by the International Republican Institute (IRI), conducted in the period April-May 2026.
The poll shows that, despite growing dissatisfaction with the government and concerns about corruption, emigration and the cost of living, support for SPAK remains strong.
According to the study, 57% of respondents consider the creation of SPAK as the best result of the justice reform. In second place is the vetting process of judges with 20%, while 15% consider the reduction of political influence in the courts as an achievement.
Another significant indicator is related to any attempt to limit the powers of SPAK. 58% of Albanians state that they would be less likely to support a candidate or party that would promote legal changes to limit the work of the Special Prosecution Office. Only 9% say that this would make them more likely to support such a political force, while 29% say that this would not influence their choice.
Compared to the November 2024 survey, there is an increase in rejection of any initiative to weaken SPAK, from 51% to 58%.
The study also measures citizens' reaction if SPAK were to investigate a politician they have supported in the past. The results show that 37% say their opinion of SPAK would not change, while 43% state that trust in the institution would even improve (19% a lot and 24% somewhat). Only 18% say their opinion would worsen.
Support is even stronger in Tirana, where over half of respondents state that the investigation of a politician they supported would not change their opinion of SPAK.
Even at the institutional level, the Special Prosecution Office continues to enjoy considerable public trust. According to the survey, 77% of Albanians say they trust SPAK (25% "trust a lot" and 52% "trust somewhat"), ranking it among the most trusted institutions in the country. Only the State Police and the Army register similar levels of trust.
At the same time, the survey highlights that corruption remains one of the country's biggest problems. When asked about the weaknesses of the current government, Albanians list emigration at the top, followed by corruption and the cost of living, while high prices, especially food prices, unemployment and the difficulty of securing housing are cited as the main daily concerns.
At the same time, the study shows a rise in pessimism about the direction of the country. 51% of respondents think that Albania is heading in the wrong direction, up from 44% in 2024.
However, among the few elements that citizens identify as successes in recent years, the survey singles out the progress of negotiations with the European Union and the justice reform, with SPAK continuing to be seen as its main symbol.
The IRI national study was conducted during April-May 2026 and measures citizens' perceptions of the political, economic and institutional situation in Albania, providing a panorama of public attitudes towards the country's institutions and priorities.
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