TIRANA, July 17 – French Ambassador to Albania Christina Vasak questioned the direction Albania is taking and its migrating youth’s destination during France’s National Holiday celebration, becoming one of the first ambassadors to question the June 30 local elections.
“Where is Albania going to and where is its youth leaving? A few days after some strange local elections, these are the questions I want to raise publicly,” Vasak said during the ceremony, which took place in Tirana on July 14.
Meanwhile, both the European Union delegation to Albania and the US Embassy have accepted the June 30 elections as valid, despite the opposition’s refusal to participate due to doubts the Socialist majority would rig the vote after a scandal regarding the parliamentary elections broke out and President Ilir Meta decreeing a new date for them to be held.
Speaking in front of Meta, the present ministers and deputies, Ambassador Vasak insisted on the desire of Albanian youth to leave the country forever.
“Why does the youth leave Albania or what does it push it to do so? What is more natural, as the Prime Minister has rightly said, than exploring the rest of Europe and the world, to study, work, and live? Of course, but why do many young people want to leave forever?” she asked.
France is one of the countries most affected by Albanian asylum seekers. The French government has repeatedly expressed its concern about the high number of Albanian asylum seekers and the many problems they cause for the domestic population.
In the latest EUROSTAT report, Albania is ranked seventh in the world by the number of asylum seekers applying for the first time in EU member states.
According to the ambassador, this phenomenon is growing ever more also for the fact that Albanians are losing confidence in their institutions.
“Building a decent state for the European [name], in all respects, without impunity or complacency, is something for which Albanians are and should remain in tune. But is confidence in the institutions not fading?” asked Vasak.
She went on to say that it is the duty of the leaders and institutions to run a state, and that the diplomats can only assist in this process but may not be the decision-makers.
“Diplomats are here to understand, support and accompany, but in no case to judge or replace competent authorities. That should be said,” she concluded.
