Third anniversary of Albania’s NATO membership should serve as a time of reflection on Albania’s democratic and state-functioning credentials.
Tirana Times Editorial
TIRANA, April 5 – Albania’s NATO membership is an extremely important historical achievement. Although NATO is primarily a military alliance, it brings together many of the world’s democratic, civilized and developed nations. Being part of such alliance makes most Albanians proud.
One hundred years ago, the existence of an Albanian independent state was a dream of many earlier generations that had come true. Yet, after Albania gained independence, even the country’s existence was into question, both from the inside and the outside. Things have changed. The efforts of the Albanian society, governments and elites in these past twenty years that led to NATO membership, simultaneously contributed to changing of Albania. It was thanks to these efforts as well as the extraordinary support of the United States that Albania managed to join NATO three years ago.
Albania’s and Croatia’s membership three years ago has increased the security and stability in a fragile and problematic region with a history of old and new conflicts.
However, it is important that three years after NATO accession we perform a critical analysis of the change that as occurred in Albania.
Through NATO membership, Albanians wanted to eliminate any East-West dilemma and decided they wanted to belong to the Western community of democratic and developed countries.
As NATO is a military alliance, does membership come with increased security? Has it increased security throughout the region? During the last twenty years Albania’s security has not been affected by typical foreign threats such as enemy armies. The country’s biggest problem has been state weakness and the failure of basic institutions of state in 1991, 1997 and 1998.
When three years ago, Albania joined NATO, many thought similar crisis of transition would not happen again and they would not put into question security and stability. But on Jan. 21, 2011, the country came once more close to anarchy as four opposition protesters were killed in downtown Tirana.
A NATO member is first and foremost a democratic country. The extent of Albanian democratic credentials three years after NATO accession are subject to some debate, particularly, since NATO membership had led to some hope that political elites – which haven’t changed much since the fall of communism – would improve their political behavior. But the last three to four years have proven that political parties are willing to act only on short-term interests of their own – not necessarily working for the good of the country.
The key question to ask is what kind of impact has NATO membership had on strengthening Albanian institutions and democratic function in Albania since NATO is not simply just a military alliance – but a political one as well.
Only a few days before the membership invitation in March 2008, there was a massive explosion in a so-called munitions dismantling factory in Gerdec. It was an ugly criminal event fueled by a history of corruption and a clear case of state capture.
This criminal event which killed 25 citizens was interpreted by the political class as a “technological accident” an explanation which the opposition also accepted. It is clear to anyone that the amount of negligence and the primitive conditions at the side went far beyond accidents. This could not and should not be called “an accident.” It was a criminal enterprise rising from cooperation between corrupt business owners and public sector officials.
The Gerdec investigation and deep disagreements over parliamentary elections that ended with the killing of protesters placed a lot of doubt on whether Albania was prepared for NATO membership.
There was also an expectation that NATO membership would also help accelerate the preparation of Albania for EU membership, but during the last three years this process has almost entirely stopped.
NATO membership also comes with human costs. Three weeks ago, the first Albanian soldier was killed in coalition operations in Afghanistan. At first sight, it seems that this tragic event has not affected Albanians’ strong support for the alliance, although currently there is no reliable survey to measure that support.
At the end of the day, this third anniversary Albania’s NATO membership should serve as a time of reflection on this member country’s democratic and state-functioning credentials.
