In enlargement commissioner’s visit, Brussels hints it wants to focus more on civil society, population at large, instead of just dealing with politicians. EU also urges Tirana to hold elections that meet the best international standards and to keep EU integration on top of agenda despite ongoing electoral campaign.
TIRANA, March 27, 2013 – How Albania conducts the upcoming parliamentary elections will have a big impact on the country’s European integrati0n process, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said last week, speaking to a Tirana audience largely made of civil society representatives, adding the EU process should stay on top of Albania’s domestic agenda despite the elections.
“It is the responsibility of all political parties, whether in government or in opposition, but also of the entire Albanian society to contribute to guarantee that the forthcoming elections reach a high level of democratic standards which doesn’t leave them open to being contested,” Fule said. “By ensuring this, Albania will send a strong signal of maturity and commitment to democratic values and stability.”
Fule made the comments at Just BE, a conference about the advantages and challenges of Albania’s EU accession.
“I see this conference as an attempt to build a strong basis and even more active engagement after the elections because the time has come for Albania to deliver on a number of the requirements. The time has come for this country to become a candidate country,” Fule said. “The time has come for the citizens of this country to benefit from opening of accession negotiations and to be part of the enlargement mainstream in the Western Balkans.”
While repeating that he had faith in Albania’s capacity to resolve key issues, the commissioner hinted that the country’s political leaders do not match the population’s desire and support for EU integration. Fule said European Commission, EU’s executive arm, cares about Albania and Albanian citizens and is committed “to assist them in delivering on their European aspirations.”
Moving on Albanians’ frustration, international community appears to want to bypass politicians
In perhaps the most significant newsworthy development of the visit, Fule limited his activities away from the country’s political leaders.
He met only with European Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu and Integration Parliamentary Committee Chairman Ditmir Bushati, an opposition MP, discussing next steps on Albania’s accession. It was a departure from the usual round of visits which have always included meetings with Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Opposition Leader Edi Rama, and sometime President Bujar Nishani.
Analysts also noticed that governing Democratic Party lawmakers and senior politicians did not attend the EU conference, though EU officials said they were invited to listen to the discussions.
Albania’s integration minister – Tirana’s top official on EU affairs, also skipped the largest EU-organized conference in Tirana, citing “a busy schedule.”
Bregu held a meeting with Fule at a later time, but it appeared her absence from the conference was a clear snub since her presence was expected, as she was addressed in the commissioner’s speech delivered to media prior to the event.
People familiar with the issue say Prime Minister Berisha and his Democratic Party, of which Bregu is a senior member, have grown resentful of Commissioner Fule. Under his watch, Berisha’s attempts to get Albania EU candidate status have been denied thrice. Fule ends his mandate next year and until then the European Commission will produce another report that will decide whether Albania will get the candidate status or not this year.
“2013 is a year full of opportunities for Albania and it is for Albania to make full use of them,” Fule urged.
In relying on talking only to the civil society for change rather than going the usual route – with the politicians — the latest EU drive appears to be part of larger trend in the international community’s engagement in Albania.
Last year, the U.S. embassy in Tirana started the Act Now project, trying to urge common people from all strata of the society to ask for their rights and work for them.
In addition to the conference, the EU has also launched an information portal of the EU Delegation in Tirana that provides an open platform for all Albanians interested in factual information about Europe and offers the opportunity to follow and share information about what the EU does in Albania.
“This is indeed an attempt to communicate, to exchange the views on how to keep the focus on Europe, how to deliver on that European dream,” said Fule.
He also said that Albanians, the common people should continue and further strengthen and intensify the integration process into the European Union.
“It is important to keep Europe on the top of the agenda together with other important issues, and not to have any of those issues put away at the expense of the other,” he said.
An annual survey by the Albanian Institute for International Studies shows the overwhelming majority of Albanians support EU membership at the highest rate among all countries on an official path to join the bloc. Studies have also shown Albanians see their future in the economically stronger, more deeply integrated European Union.
Those facts were not lost on Fule, who urged Albanians to keep the eye on the ball: European integration will bring stability and prosperity, enhanced and helped by financial assistance through the structural and cohesion funds, also opening the door for new business opportunities.
Loss of potential benefits underscores need to
move process forward
Albania’s integration process has been stuck on the slow lane for years, frustrating Albanians and concerning EU officials, who say the speed is in the hands of Albania’s government and opposition cooperating on key reforms.
EU experts keep pointing out at what Albania is missing:
Full application of EU standards will deliver major improvements not only as regards protection of human rights, fight against corruption and sound financial management, but also in areas such as social protection, food safety and the environment, thus improving radically the quality of life of the people.
For the Albanian people, there will be many new opportunities to travel, study and work in the European Union once the country is a member.
But with an official membership date appearing to be further and further in the future, even the best benefits appear lost in a fog for many, analysts point out.
Albania and the EU already have strong ties, as the bloc is Albania’s main trade partner, with 80 percent of Albania’s exports going to the European Union and 65 percent of its imports come from the European Union. Greater European integration means greater markets for Albanian products, stimulating innovation, entrepreneurship and diversification in the Albanian economy, EU officials say.
A 2020 accession date as target?
Fule added that the first step ahead is the Western Balkans cooperation. He also hinted saying that 2020 could be a an important year in Albania’s EU membership path.
“As future members, enlargement countries feature high on the list of partners with whom we engage in Europe 2020. The commission is opening support through the instrument for pre-accession assistance from 2014 to 2020 for all candidates and potential candidates,” he said.
However, more skeptical sources say it could take as long as 2030 for Albania’s full membership, meaning a full half a century would have passed “in transition” between communism and EU membership.
However, Fule pointed out that EU-related reforms are investments in improving the lives of Albanian citizens not just homework for membership. Albania’s entire process of European Union-related reforms needs to be sustainable, self-motivated and consensus-driven – for the good of all Albanian citizens, Fule said.
