As Bulgarian veto entangles region, Albania not hopeful on start of EU talks, PM says
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- North Macedonia-Bulgaria dispute which is holding Albania's bid hostage, could lead to wider regional problems, experts worry.
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TIRANA, June 16, 2022 – Albania is not expecting that the EU will agree to open membership negotiations at a key EU summit next week, the country’s prime minister, Edi Rama, says.
Rama made the pessimistic prediction during an interview with Politico.eu, in which he also expressed support for a French proposal to create a new political community in Europe, without wanting to go into the details on what that would mean for Albania’s EU membership.
Rama says Bulgaria’s veto on North Macedonia, which has also held Tirana hostage, is likely to continue.
“I don’t have any expectation. I think nothing will happen. Albania and North Macedonia will not formally open talks to have accession,” Rama said at the interview. “Again, it’s about Bulgaria. They all agree, they all support, they all think that this should happen, and this should have already happened. But their margin of maneuver is limited from Bulgaria.”
Rama said he did not expect Bulgarian officials to modify their positions because the conflict had become such a major issue in Sofia that backing down would be difficult.
The Bulgarian ruling coalition is splitting up over the issue, a move that could likely lead to new elections.
Albania to ask for decoupling
Rama repeated his previous stance that with the expected negative answer later this month, he will ask for Albania’s membership bid to be treated separately from North Macedonia’s.
EU officials have been reluctant to decouple the two countries, seeking regional stability. with officials arguing it would be better for regional stability if the two neighbors could advance together.
“If nothing will happen in June, we’ll ask to be separated from this couple that is lost in translation,” Rama said. “I’m confident that this is what we should do, then if [EU leaders] will agree or not, we’ll see.”
Decades-long plight, worries about regional stability
The plight of the two Western Balkan countries serves as a timely reminder of the complexities of EU membership for Ukraine, which is aiming to become an EU candidate at next week’s meeting as it faces Russian aggression.
North Macedonia was granted this status in 2005, and Albania was granted it in 2014, but the EU has yet to initiate membership talks with either nation, a lengthy delay that has led to great frustration.
But the North Macedonia-Bulgaria dispute, which is holding Albania’s bid hostage, could lead to wider regional problems, experts worry.
Slavi Trifonov, a populist politician, withdrew his party out of Bulgaria’s ruling alliance last week, sparking worries the government will fall and new elections will be needed. Trifonov made the move in response to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s plans to waive Bulgaria’s veto over the start of EU membership talks with North Macedonia.
The subject of North Macedonia is expected to dominate an election campaign. But there are worries nationalist pro-Russian forces would benefit from the debate.
