Albania and the EU: The tumultuous Journey towards Integration and Accession

The Mjaft Foundation and AGENDA Institute in collaboration with the Open Society Institute held the tenth round of debates of EU Lectures Series. Dr. Mirela Bogdani (Oxford University, UK) gave a talk on her recent book “Albania and the EU: The tumultuous Journey towards Integration and Accession.” The foremost purpose of this lecture series and of the different topics that will be discussed is to set the stage for innovative perspectives on European Membership, to break misconceptions and myths regarding Integration, and to encourage civil society participation and assistance on Albania’s path towards the EU.
When will Albania join the EU? Will accession help Albania to achieve prosperity and stability? And which factors are helping it towards this end and what factors are holding it back? This book represents an original study of Albania’s relations with the EU and is the first one to identify and analyze the problems of the country, as it moves towards membership of the Union. It explores the political, economic and social transformations needed to make Albanian membership possible. The authors highlight the democratic changes that have occurred in post-communist Albania, as well as the many obstacles that still remain.