EU Enlargement Commission Stefan Fule says referendum on three laws needed for EU integration goes against the spirit of consensus. Brussels stands against Berisha initiative, but ruling coalition approves referendum in parliament nonetheless.
TIRANA, March 4 – Despite repeated statements from Brussels that it saw the move as divisive and not an immediate requirement for Albania’s EU progress, the Albanian parliament has approved an initiative by Prime Minister Sali Berisha that a referendum should be held to approve three laws tied to EU integration, but which have been blocked by the opposition.
Two days before the vote in parliament, Stefan Fule, the European commissioner for enlargement, sent a letter to Albania saying that passing the three laws is not democratic if it is not made in cooperation among the political parties in the country and that it was not really what’s holding Albania’s integration up.
The European Commission criticized Tirana for its plan to push forward its bid to become a member of the European Union via a referendum. Fule said in his letter sent last Saturday that a referendum “cannot be a way to bypass the lack of dialogue and constructive co-operation between the government and opposition on the EU agenda”. “Opting for a referendum in this case is not the way…cross-party consensus is built.” He said that the decision went “against the spirit of inclusiveness”.
Albania has submitted an application for membership of the EU, of which candidate status is the next step, in April 2009, but it has received three negative responses. Last October, the Commission recommended that EU member states recognize Albania as a candidate for membership but pending on the completion of a set of reforms. The recommendation was conditional on Albania approving laws on the judiciary and public administration, as well as the rules of procedure for parliament.
The opposition Socialists have not agreed to pass the laws saying that EU integration means the laws are applied rather than just approved on paper. They complain that the Democratic Party-led government and governing is failing to implement the laws in a case in the western city of Fier, where there is practically no local governing taking place after the opposition claims the government violated a court order and froze the local district council.
Fule placed special emphasis on the need for agreement on parliamentary rules of procedures.
Last year the two political groupings reached a consensus and passed laws on the electoral reform and lifting of the immunity. But soon consensus went missing again, over the Fier case. The political impasse has been continuing since the parliamentary elections in June 2009 that produced a coalition government led by the center-right Democratic Party of Albania (DPA) under Sali Berisha. The opposition claimed that the Democrats had stolen the elections and boycotted parliament for a time. The situation worsened again in January 2011, when security forces shot dead four opposition demonstrators during a violent protest in front of the prime minister’s office. Frictions continued in the local elections in May 2011 when Opposition Leder Edi Rama accused the Democrats of irregularities and vote rigging.
Albania’s post-communist elections have never been judged to have fully met international standards. The political tensions and the government’s decision to bypass parliament increase the chances of the referendum becoming another flash point. No date for the referendum has been announced by the president. But according to Albania’s laws, it cannot take place before a year has passed, as the constitution does not allow referenda to be held within six months of elections. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for 23 June.
Fule has often reiterated the importance of successful preparation and conduct of the parliamentary elections as a crucial test for the functioning of Albania’s democratic institutions.
