TIRANA, May 29 – Albanian officials are lobbying hard ahead of a European Commission report on Albania’s application to become an official candidate for membership in the European Union.
The report from EU’s executive branch is to be issued next week, ahead of a final decision from the European Council on June 23. Albania is hoping to overcome three other previous failed attempts to get the status.
Prime Minister Edi Rama visited in counterpart in the Netherlands, the country that was the strongest opponent of Albania’s bid last December and which was later joined by Germany, France, Britain and Denmark.
Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati went to Denmark to meet with his counterpart there.
Following his meetings with the Dutch leaders, Rama said his hosts had heard patiently about the achievements Albania had worked on during these past few months.
In December, EU members had decided to ask for more tangible results from Tirana in its fight against organized crime and corruption and other significant reforms, especially in the justice system.
Rama said that Tirana should have been given the status in December, adding “there are more reasons to get it in June and we hope that with the end of the European elections it will be easier not to fall prey of the internal bias and debate of some member countries, as it happened last December.”
He added, “We are convinced that the Progress Report will be the basis of the judgment for all member countries.”
Last December, the EU Commission also suggested that the status be granted to Albania. But its recommendation found opposition from five member countries which wanted to see more results,
Rama had earlier been in Germany, where he said he got assurances from Chancellor Angela Merkel. He is also expected to visit France in mid June to meet with President Francois Hollande.
Last week, in the Netherlands, Rama met with his counterpart Mark Rutte and Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans.
A government statement said that Rama got appreciation from Rutte on Albania’s real progress these months.
In Copenhagen Bushati met with his counterpart Martin Lidegaard, also to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Bushati assured his Danish counterpart that European integration was a major priority for his country and that was supported by all the population too.
EU officials note progress ahead of decision
EU’s Director General for Enlargement at the European Commission Christian Danielsson visited Albania last week just days before the commission makes public its progress report on Albania’s situation and reforms that have a direct impact on the integration process.
A few weeks ago, Albania presented to the commission its part on the report.
Danielsson said that during these months Albania has made significant progress in the process of integration reforms.
“We believe that the efforts made by the government were the right ones,” said Danielsson.
Albanian European Integration Minister Klajda Gjosha said that the reforms were the only way to advance toward the bloc.
“We believe and hope that the Commission’s Progress Report will reflect the hard work that has been done this year, in terms of meeting the priorities of the European agenda, a step in which Albania has national priority,” Gjosha said.
European Parliament election results cause concern
Albania is closely following results of the European Parliament elections last weekend. They showed a rise of anti-mainstream European forces from both the right and left.
Europhobic parties are set to dominate politics in two main countries, France and the UK, and exert a strong influence in many others. From Italy to Denmark, and from Austria to Greece or Spain, centrist parties are being challenged from the extremes.
From The Netherlands, Rama called for a strong European response to far-right groups.
“Europe [is] between its past and its future like never before,” he said. “[Italian Prime Minister Matteo] Renzi’s example shows that there is only one way against extremists, head on,” he said, referring to Italian leader’s poll triumph last weekend.
