EU integration not only a mission in itself, it’s an investment in improving how this country works
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
TIRANA, Oct. 13 – The EU announcement that Albania is not ready to become an official candidate for EU membership is not only bad news because it points out to what is widely known – that Albania is making no progress in its primary strategic and national goal – but because it also shows Albania is making little progress in general.
And the culprits are easily identifiable in the report and elsewhere: Political leaders unwilling to put their personal interests aside to work in the country’s interest.
Much the homework Brussels gave Albania had to do with simple elements in a democratic country that works under a consolidated rule of law. These are things like proper functioning parliament and independent judiciary. In failing to make progress in elements as basic as these, Albania’s political class has not only failed Brussels’ test, it has failed the basic needs of common Albanians.
Properly functioning elected and independent institutions, equal rule of law applied to all, economic well being, personal freedoms are things that should come before EU membership, they are not handed down once you are admitted.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said in a press conference this week the biggest importance of the enlargement progress is the great impact in lifting the countries of the Western Balkans up to EU standards. Accession is just the treat at the end of the line. The real work comes before.
But Albania’s politicians seem unwilling or unable (it’s likely the first) to put in the work – with the treat of seeing Albania become a full member of the European family seeming not appealing enough. There are too many treats with the status quo, while the Albanian public grow frustrated and continues to be unjustly punished for the deeds of its leaders.
Commissioner Fule said the recipe to move forward is fairly simple: The governing parties should be more open to the opposition and in return, the opposition should fully participate in its role in legislative bodies.
So let’s get it done. First steps should include an official answer to all opposition requests by the government, and the opposition should stop boycotting any vote or legislative process, be it something as big for the country as votes of important laws in parliament or something small like attending city council meetings, which the opposition has apparently taken to boycotting as well.
The first reactions have been discouraging. Neither side has moved from its previous positions placing all the blame on the other side. If things don’t change, Albania could lose another two years.
The report’s message was clear: The next step to accession will have to wait until Albania and its politicians sort themselves out.
The ball for Albania’s progress is in the politicians’ court. The people who vote them in or out (at least in theory) — Albanians — overwhelmingly support EU membership, annual studies by the Albanian Institute for International Studies indicate. If there is no change in how things are run, there is nothing left to conclude but that the leaders’ direct personal interests do not include Albania’s membership in the European Union.
