EU says elections will be crucial test for Albania’s democracy

TIRANA, Feb. 25 – The European Union made it again clear this week that the upcoming June 23 parliamentary elections will be a crucial test for the country’s democracy and also its progress toward integration into the bloc.
Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule made the comments Monday, meeting in Brussels with head of the Socialist Movement for Integration Ilir Meta, the junior coalition partner in Albania’s government.
The two officials exchanged views on the follow-up to the Council Conclusions from December and on the latest developments of the political situation in Albania.
The Commissioner said that Albania has no time to spare in its EU-related agenda.
“The current campaign period is no excuse for slowing work on EU-oriented reforms, and government and opposition alike need to assume their responsibility in bringing Albania closer to the EU,” he said.
Commissioner Fule reiterated the importance of successful preparation and conduct of the parliamentary elections on the 23rd June as a crucial test for the functioning of Albania’s democratic institutions.
“It is essential that political leaders play their part in ensuring the elections are in line with international standards, to improve the credibility and standing of the democratic institutions and strengthen the accountability of politicians toward the Albanian people,” said Fule.
The commissioner, who was earlier this month in Tirana, repeated that the European Commission is ready to assist in this process as much as possible and intensify its engagement if the political parties create the necessary conditions for that.
“When it comes to elections, it is important to ensure highest possible participation of voters and coming back to the business of the European agenda very soon after the elections,” Fule said.
The statement coming out of Fule’s office did not mention the three laws that the Albanian government has said are needed for integration, and which the opposition has blocked. They are turned into an issue of political contest in the country. The government insists that the opposition is not approving them in an effort to make the country fail in the application for the candidate status.
Albania has applied for the status since 2009 but it has had three negative responses from Brussels saying they should first comply with a set of 12 key recommendations.
The opposition says that Albania needs to apply the laws it already has, rather than pass new ones.
The main step, for the moment, in the road toward membership, or better say the candidate status, is holding free and fair elections in June. That will be the main test which Europe and the international community will observe closely and that will serve as the main proof for brussels to decide to give the status to Tirana likely later this year, analysts note.