Albania, a place where long-standing traditions devised a nation : The Kanun of Lek Dukagjini is alive and kicking

Sammanfattning: Albania is a young democratic country that is still learning how to move forward. Albania has lived under regimes not democratically chosen for centuries: the Ottoman Empire before and the Communist regime than. These impositions have not allowed it to create an identity as a nation, this is the reason why they believe into the only code not forced from the high and that dates back to the Middle Age. The Kanun of Lëke Dukagjini is a customary code of laws that has ruled Albanians lives before the Ottoman Empire conquered the country. The Kanun influences everyday life still today. Albania remains tied to old traditions but on the other hand looks at the European Union as a role model. Albania is a country in between, traditions on one hand and progress on the other. The desire to be included in the Union has dramatically increased over the last decade. In these years, the government has been trying to satisfy the applications of Brussels hoping to get the candidacy. In 2014 Albania obtained the candidacy. Through the realization of laws in all fields, the government seems inclined to reach the standards of the European countries. In spite of all these progresses and changes, for Albanian population nothing seems different and everything appear just a way to show improvement to EU and EU countries but in everyday life it seems as same as always. It seems not possible to eradicate the mentality of citizens. Gender inequality and blood feuds are still a reality. The questions that guide this research are: how is it possible that a customary law is still so strongly present in Albanians lives? Is this a possible obstacle towards the European process of inclusion?