34. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for candidates?

Source:

Article 84, Electoral Code of the Republic of Albania, 2025

ALB: 9. Për partitë joparlamentare dhe për kandidatët e propozuar nga zgjedhësit, radiot dhe televizionet private vënë në dispozicion kohë transmetimi shtesë për reklamat mbi kohën që zbatohet, sipas pikës 5 të këtij neni. Koha e transmetimit të reklamave për secilën parti joparlamentare dhe kandidatët e propozuar nga zgjedhësit nuk mund të jetë më e madhe se 10 minuta për gjithë fushatën zgjedhore. Për partitë joparlamentare dhe kandidatët e propozuar nga zgjedhësit zbatohen tarifa të njëjta me ato që zbatohen për partitë parlamentare, si dhe kritere të njëjta për kohën falas, sipas pikës 6 të këtij neni.

https://kqz.gov.al/pdf/kodi-zgjedhor.pdf

ENG: 9. Private radio and television broadcasters shall provide extra airtime for the advertisements of non-parliamentary parties and candidates proposed by the voters, in addition to the airtime applied in accordance with point 5 of this Article. The airtime for the advertisements of each non-parliamentary party and candidates proposed by voters shall not exceed 10 minutes for the entire electoral campaign. For non-parliamentary parties and candidates proposed by the voters, the same rates as for parliamentary parties, as well as the same criteria for the free of charge airtime, in accordance with point 6 of this Article, shall apply.

https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/5/7/477547_0.pdf

 (updated until 2020); amendments 2024 and 2025: https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-REF(2025)029-e

The law does not provide free or subsidized media access for individual candidates, but only for political parties registered with the Central Election Commission as electoral candidates and only through the public broadcaster (Article 80 of the Electoral Code). Media exposure of candidates is generally controlled by political parties running for elections, which decide how to distribute airtime among their candidates. The only exception applies to candidates proposed by voters (independent candidates): private radio and TV stations must offer them up to 10 minutes of additional advertising time for the entire campaign, at the same rates and under the same criteria for free airtime that apply to parliamentary parties (Article 84, point 6, Electoral Code).