Tirana Times
TIRANA, June 16 – European Union Enlargement Commi-ssioner Stefan Fuele said this week that Albania, together with Montenegro would very likely have their response to the questionnaire and request for the candidate status by November.
That is really good news to this country, but politics are likely to intervene.
Normally the Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha will hail themselves for the achievement, while the opposition Socialist Party of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama will try to find how the corruption of the government is making the country poorer and delaying the integration into the bloc.
Both just aim to keep their supporters, now ahead of the local elections planned to be held next year.
What they should both consider for the moment is to also listen to Europe’s concern over the political situation in Albania.
The EU foreign ministers warned Tirana this week that it is the responsibility of both the opposition and the ruling party to find “solutions and ways forward which will be required for the country on its EU path”.
Albania has faced political deadlock since the country’s June 2009 parliamentary elections. The two political forces are locked in a stalemate over the results of the elections, which Berisha’s party narrowly won.They have so far failed to agree on the powers of a parliamentary commission set to investigate alleged irregularities in the parliamentary ballot held on June 28, 2009.
While the Socialists seek a recount of the ballots, claiming that the government’s alleged fraud was to blame for their electoral loss, the majority insists that the opposition has exhausted all legal means for a recount to take place.
Albania’s main political parties met with EU representatives in Strasbourg at the end of May, but an agreement has still not been reached.
European Foreign Ministers declared this week in unanimity that the EU Council and the European Parliament both are going to take simultaneous decision on visa liberalization with Albania as soon as the Commission confirms all the set criteria have been met.
Berisha and Rama have been invited for fresh consultations with the European Parliament lawmakers as part of efforts to overcome the political stalemate that has plagued the country for almost a year.
Although a similar meeting was held in Strasbourg last month, both leaders continue to disagree on the powers and procedures that should be followed by the parliamentary commission charged with investigating alleged fraud in the elections.
EU officials have previously warned that the country risks having its application for candidate status frozen unless a compromise to the crisis is reached.
