Throughout the day TV news always begins with the electoral campaign gripping Albania as tension has rocked the headquarters of the political parties gearing up for the parliamentary elections to be held on June 28.

This will be a test for the Albanian authorities’ ability to organize transparent elections on the country’s way to the EU.

Four coalitions will stand in the elections that will be monitored by at least 2,500 local observers and more than 400 international ones.

Opinion polls conducted in March and April show that the two biggest parties – the governing Democratic Party and the opposition Socialist Party – are competing shoulder to shoulder for first place.

The international community, through the OSCE, urges political parties in Albania to boost mutual trust to enable free and fair elections later this month, in line with international standards.

What is interesting to note is the abundance of pledges made by all the political parties, especially the two big ones.