Croatia is richest EU candidate, Albania the poorest…

TIRANA, Jan. 3 – Croatian media reported that the purchasing power of Croatians rose to 65 per cent of the European Union averages last year, making Croatia the wealthiest EU member candidate.
Looking at the region, PP in Macedonia is almost half of that of Croatia and is only 36 per cent of the EU averages. Serbs are close by, with 37 per cent, while Bosnia and Herzegovina lags behind them, with 31 per cent.
The worst off are the citizens of Albania, where the standard of living barely exceeds the quarter of the EU average.
The standard of living has fallen in the majority of EU member states in 2009, the daily Jutarnji List writes. This includes Slovenia, which is now at 88 per cent of the Union averages.
The decrease of the purchasing power across the European Union is the main reason behind the Croatia’s statistical growth on the European ladder, the daily writes.
That is very indicative.
Albania has applied for the candidate status since 2009. Last year Europe told Tirana to better take care of its internal problems, to increase the administration capacities, fight organized crime and corruption and, above all, try to first resolve political contests on its own, before asking for such an integration step.
That was made clearer later in late December when Brussels alread6y approved neighboring Montenegro’s request for the candidate status.