The reality confronting the merit principle in the Albanian civil service: a historical comparison going back to the roots

There have been many studies that have investigated the history of the meritocratic competitive testing of public officials, with historians of and researchers in administrative science concluding that China was the first country to apply the principle of merit in selecting public officials through open competition. The novelty of the approach set out in this article is to analyse historic facts through the eye of an employee who has significant experience in the public administration of Albania. There have been attempts to introduce the merit principle in Albania, but these have encountered significant difficulties due to the communist traditions of the country and the problems of its 28-year transition to democracy. In exploring the origin story developing in a faraway eastern country, the questions arise as to why China was the first country in the world to apply the principle of merit in selecting public officials and what lessons this has for Albania today. By combining historical and analytical method, analysing the history of meritocratic competitive testing, this article aims to serve the development of public administration in Albania.