TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, July 25 – Germany’s ambassador in Albania, Berndt Borchardt, expressed his surprise this week on the lack of will to compromise among Albanian political leaders at a time when the country is trying to get integrated into the European bloc.
In an interview with the Gazeta Shqiptare newspaper, Borchardt gave his last impressions before his move from the post following the end of his term. He had come to the post in Albania in 2006.
“I have never managed to understand the lack of capability of compromise in the politics of your country,” he said.
The ambassador said that 27 EU member countries have to compromise every day for a series of issues and that ask for a high level of readiness for compromise. “While in Albania, for more than a year many important issues are postponed due to the lack of compromise,” he said.
That seemed a very clear warning that aiming at becoming an EU member country also wants or asks for the same levels of mentality.
The ambassador said that Albania and its politics have to undertake substantial reforms along their steps toward the European Union, like democracy, rule of law and justice, fighting corruption.
Europe, he said, expects Albania to resolve the political crisis and also fulfill the recommendations from the OSCE/ODIHR on the electoral process.
The ambassador spoke about the great changes the post-communist country had enjoyed and also about the generosity and the great heart he had found among Albanians
Germany has been one of the main supporters of post-communist Albania with some 200 million euro.
The ambassador praised the country for the improvement in some sectors. But he also stressed that the fight against corruption remains a main topic while the country wants to get integrated into the western world.
He also expressed concern from the German business with 92 percent of them considering corruption spread in Albania, which he also considered that a horror figure, supporting what his US counterpart has said recently.
“Urging the Albanian government to do more on that issue has been one of the biggest challenges and will remain one of the biggest challenges in the future for the representatives of the Albania’s friends in Albania,” he said.
