Tirana Times Editorial
TIRANA, Mar 1 – The mood in Brussels hasn’t been very good recently when it comes to Albania’s progress toward EU membership. Even Albania’s most ardent supporters have been fed up with the lack of progress and continued political conflict after a promising start last November. Albania went virtually ignored at the latest meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. There simply hadn’t been enough (if any) change in progress since last time the ministers met.
While Albanians overwhelmingly support EU integration and see it as a top priority for the country’s future, it is clear at this point the leaders of the government and the opposition are either unwilling or unable to move the process forward until the next elections, when, hopefully, Albanian voters will be able to express their displeasure.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Socialist Party leader Edi Rama blame each other for Albania’s failure in the EU arena. And they are both right. Because they are both to blame. The way they have managed EU integration politics is a sign of their failure to act as responsible leaders who work to serve the best interest of the country. With Brussels not even considering doing a report on Albania this spring, both Mr. Berisha and Mr. Rama are hoping to spin the failure in a way that they can reap the benefits in the next election. But with the Albanian political scene rapidly changing to reflect the deep frustration of the electorate with Mr. Berisha and Mr. Rama, their failure to cooperate might finally prove harmful to them as leaders and their parties as organizations.
Albanian voters are not stupid. They understand that beyond talking points and blame, Albania has not completed work on the recommendations due to a mixture of the government officials’ inability to get the job done and the continued hostile political climate between the government and opposition, which has blocked speedy reforms.
There is clearly a lot of work the government could have completed on its own and hasn’t done so. The opposition, on the other hand, is back to its old tactics delaying reforms that require three fifths of the members of parliament to vote.
Dragging its feet, the Socialist Party is using the only card it has at its disposal, to punish the Democrats for their unwillingness to bend to opposition requests. It’s also holding the country back in the process.
In its latest meeting, the integration commission of the Albanian parliament – which is supposed to spearhead reforms for integration -was instead involved in a political debate where MPs repeated like parrots the words of the two party leaders and again reflected on the sad state of Albanian parliamentarian debate.
When the Albanian people are so directly failed by their politicians, the international community should also consider speaking more directly to the Albanian people. The wording should be clear and undiplomatic if that’s what it takes get the message across: The current political class is holding Albania’s future hostage by failing to work toward the greatest dream Albanians have had since the fall of communism: To feel truly Europeans – live under a democratic and responsible government and have an opposition that is loyal to the progress of the state.
Yes, the government has failed to move forward the integration process, and, yes, the opposition is partially, but not entirely, to blame for the failures. Blame games don’t work on both sides a right and wrong at the same time.
