The new government, which took office in September, is expected to be less stable than its predecessors, because it has a very small majority. The prime minister, Sali Berisha, and his centre-right Democratic Party of Albania (DPA) will need to rely on the support of their long-standing political adversary, Ilir Meta, whose Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) has become the DPA's junior coalition partner. Albania has a chance of becoming an EU candidate in the forecast period, but only if the new government significantly accelerates reforms. The Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts real GDP to grow by 3.5% in 2010 and 5% in 2011, after estimated growth of 2.5% in 2009. We forecast average inflation of around 3% in the forecast period. The current-account deficit is expected to decline to the equivalent of around 7.5% of GDP in 2010-11.