Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 24 – Albania’s top political leaders were told they had no other choice but to take the deal placed in front of them by EU officials at a dinner in a fancy Strasbourg restaurant, sources present at the meeting told the Albanian media. It was EU’s last minute effort to resolve their political deadlock that might have led to some progress in Albania’s 9-month-old political conflict.
A meeting in Strasbourg between representatives of the Albanian government and the opposition ended officially without any progress, but the Socialist Party has returned the parliament.
Facilitated by European Parliament officials and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, Albanian leaders נPrime Minister Sali Berisha and main opposition leader Edi Rama נheld a six-hour discussion.
Berisha and Rama were given two more weeks to find a compromise, Fuele said afterwards.
Fuele and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed their concern in a joint statement, which read in part, “Albania stands at a crucial moment on its path towards EU integration.”
Many media outlets considered the long hours of the dinner and the meeting in general a failure to resolve the crisis. But some progress might have unofficially been made.
EU experts will come to Tirana and mediate a solution to the political crisis.
The opposition Socialists want to open the ballot boxes in a number of areas they claim were manipulated during the counting.
The move is considered as illegal from the governing Democrats.
At this moment it seems the solution will come in a different move.
They, a parliamentary commission, will likely investigate the documentation of the voting process in those areas. Then they will decide whether a number of ballot boxes should be open or not but the decision will belong to the Venice Commission.
That was disclosed from the two leaders after their arrival in Tirana.
Both considered the dinner as successful for their side.
Feuding Albanian parties said that that they have accepted a two-week deadline set by the European Union to resolve their disputes and unblock the country’s politics.
The opposition Socialists have boycotted parliament since elections held nearly a year ago, which they said were rigged by Berisha’s Democrats.
Pressed by the EU, which through its Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said it wants the situation resolved within two weeks, Berisha finally agreed to a recount of a part of the votes.
“We are ready for any reasonable compromise,” Berisha told reporters in Tirana.
Rama expressed hope that the recount of the contested votes may lead to a solution within the deadline. The tentative agreement to seek a solution ended a hunger strike begun 19 days ago by 21 Socialist legislators and nearly 180 of their supporters.
Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries, joined NATO last year, but its path to EU membership remains blocked because of lagging reforms and problems, such as marred elections.
An ultimatum?
Putting pressure on both political camps, the MEPs warn that the stalemate could lead to the “suspension of the accession process” – a move which would be unprecedented in the EU’s history.
The warning was delivered by the leaders of the two biggest political groups in the European Parliament – Joseph Daul from the central-right European People’s Party, and Martin Schulz from the Socialist S+D group. Both hosted the five-hour meeting over dinner that took place in Strasbourg prestigious Crocodile restaurant.
“Our two political groups fear that a conclusion cannot be drawn on the question of the functioning of democracy without a compromise solution of the present political crisis,” they write.
Diplomatic sources in Brussels said that if the stalemate continues, the European Commission would either postpone giving its opinion on Albania’s application for EU membership, or would deliver a negative assessment, stating that the country does not meet the political criteria to become an official candidate for membership as this requires functioning democratic institutions. Albania applied for EU membership a year ago, and the Commission is preparing its official opinion on the bid.
“We would prefer to ask jointly for a suspension of the accession process until such time as a fair settlement of the dispute is reached, instead of risking a negative recommendation,” the leaders state.
Europe made it very clear to both leaders, and the Albanian people through a statement, or the invitation sent to the two leaders.
Unless they resolve the conflict, Albania may be left aside as far as her integration process with the EU is concerned. That was the ultimatum which may also include the visa-free regime expected probably next month. Albania was given a clear warning by the European Union that it may find itself off the path to EU membership unless an end is put to the political crisis in the Western Balkan country.
The EU’s Spanish presidency also joined in the effort to end the crisis. Spain’s foreign minister Miguel Moratinos spoke on the phone with the two Albanian rival leaders.
A spokesman for Schulz said the meeting had been “an open and frank discussion on controversial issues, and there was some narrowing of differences, but no overall agreement.” Commissioner Fuele merely said “it was a good meeting.”
Another gathering in the same format is to take place in three weeks time.
Rama has agreed not to challenge the overall outcome of the elections and to accept Sali Berisha as the legitimate prime minister. Also, the fact that both agreed to show up in Strasbourg at 24 hours notice was interpreted as willingness to see the EU help clinch a deal.
The aftermath of the hunger strike
Albania had been edging towards political chaos in the last few weeks since contested elections were held in June 28, 2009. The opposition Socialist Party, which still controls 65 of the parliament’s 140 seats, has been boycotting the assembly for months, holding up the passage of laws, including many that are needed to align the country with EU legislation. Since April, the Socialist Party has been calling anti-government protests “to accelerate the end” of Berisha’s center-right government.
Some 200 protestors from the socialist camp, including 22 members of parliament, even started a hunger strike.
That was stopped last week after the invitation to the Strasbourg dinner.
Daul and Schulz urged the two Albanian leaders to discourage their supporters from holding protests – including hunger strikes – to prevent the dispute from escalating.
Antoine Ripoll, a spokesperson for Joseph Daul, said that despite taking place at such short notice, the dinner and meetings would take place amid good conditions, as the hunger strike had ended in the meantime.
Reactions
High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fuele support the initiative by MEPs Joseph Daul and Martin Schulz, on behalf of their political groups in the European Parliament to encourage effective improvements of political situation in Albania for the benefit of the citizens of the country and with a view to improving Albania’s EU perspective.
Albania stands at a crucial moment on its path towards the EU integration. Also, a range of domestic challenges require political courage. The EU is seriously concerned about the continuing political stalemate. We are concerned about the dysfunctional parliament and the possible systemic effects across their institutions.
It is high time to find a solution to the current crisis on a basis which will stand the test of time. Albania’s prospects should not be further affected by a continuation of the status quo.
The High Representative and the Commissioner join the call by the political groups of the European
Parliament to the leader of the government and the leader of the opposition to take responsibility for finding a national, sustainable and imminent way forward in line with the aspirations of the citizens of Albania, the Constitution and the principle of transparency. The U.S. Embassy also made a statement the day of the talks.
We welcome the initiative of the EU and the European Parliament to organize a meeting of the leaders of the majority and the opposition of Albania in Strasbourg tonight.
We encourage both parties to take advantage of this opportunity in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue, and to reach a compromise as soon as possible.
The time for agreement is today. The people of Albania urgently need an end to the political crisis and for Albania to return its focus to its Euro-Atlantic agenda.
Berisha, Rama continue rhetoric
The two leaders continued, however, their daily rhetoric back in Tirana.
Berisha said in front of his lawmakers that it was his determination to stop the strike before holding talks which had obliged the opposition to end it.
He continued to say that opening the documentation of the voting was fine but added that meant the ballot should be then burnt as the law says. The Democrats were open to leaving the head of the parliamentary commission and the majority in it to the opposition, he added, confident that a solution would be found in the next two weeks but always within the context of the laws and the constitution.
Rama considered the Crocodile restaurant dinner a success saying that it wiped out the previous stubborn stance from the governing Democrats on not opening the ballot boxes. He said he was confident the solution would be found in the next two weeks.
But he also added that protests would be stepped up unless they reached something acceptable which meant voting transparency.
