TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
TIRANA, Oct 27–Albanians are growing frustrated and pessimistic with the county’s progress toward the European Union. Faced with political deadlock at home and a stalled EU bid, they increasingly see the likely date of EU membership move further and further way. Some are giving up hope together.
Every year since 2006, the Albanian Institute for International Studies has published thorough annual studies that have tested Albanians’ willingness for their country to join the European Union as well as analyzed the reasons behind their answers amd their understanding of the process.
This year’s report, released this week, shows 29 percent of Albanians say Albania won’t become an EU member until the next decade, another 34 percent of Albanians hope for 2020. About 9 percent say it will never happen.
Albania’s lowered expectations are understandable and justifiable judging by events at home and abroad. Just this month, Brussels offered a resounding negative answer to Albania’s application to become a candidate for membership and opening official negotiations, saying Tirana had not done enough to meet the set conditions.
Albania’s government blamed the opposition for boycotting key votes in parliament, while the opposition said the failure was the government’s alone because it had not done its job. In a shameful display of disregard for Albania’s key priority, EU membership, the political class then preceded the swipe the latest failure under the rug, moving on to other trivial political squabbles.
Albanians and international friends who want to help this country need to make sure that EU membership and doing what is needed to get there should stay on top of everything else. Working toward EU membership means working toward Albania’s general progress. And Albanians more than ever want their political class to offer the type stability that allows that progress.
The AIIS study shows that for the first time EU membership is mistakenly seen more as a way to improve political governance and the rule of law rather than raising the standard of living. Political and justice issues are preconditions for membership; they do not come from it. This year, more than 40 percent of Albanians cited the contribution to democracy as their main reason of support, and only 19 percent of them leaned on the side of economic benefits, mentioning rising standards of life as their driving motive.
The saddest part the failures of the political class is that it is creating a jaded electorate, which — though still judges European integration as a key path for better life and a better future — is quickly loosing the type of strong EU enthusiasm that has characterized Albanians for years.
It is perfectly normal for some Albanians to start opposing EU membership based on reasons such as a belief that there will be economical costs to certain segments of the society, but to have a political class that leads Albanians to such frustration and pessimism that they give up their European dream altogether, is not only sad, it is unforgivable.
