By Tom Hashimoto
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, Albania joins the European Union (EU). For Greece, for example, it is natural to have a “European” neighbor on her land path to the rest of Europe. On the other hand, there are some concerns for the financial and economic cooperation between the EU and Albania: the relatively weak Albanian financial market is too risky to be included in the Euro zone in this time of a global financial crisis. Then, what does “Europe” mean to Albania?
Economists at the Tirana Economic Forum last week (10 March) seem to be rather pessimistic on what the government can do to combat against the current economic crisis. Given the size of the Albanian national budget, the options are certainly limited. Foreign Direct Investments and financial assistance from abroad are shrinking, and thus, over all cash inflows (including remittances) are also not optimistic.
The different side of the same coin is that the Albanian economy will recover when the European economy recovers. Greek and Italian investments in Albania are the visible and direct part of this interdependency. Albanians who are working in Europe also contribute to the homeland economy through remittances. Hence, the Albanian government can prepare its economic recovery by further integrating with the European economy.
Politically speaking, if the current administration succeeds the application submission to the EU, the governmental political party gains a credit for its diplomatic achievement: hence, the outcome of this negotiation affects the upcoming election in June. Not to mention, Albania’s importance in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) will increase as Albania becomes a member of the EU. Unlike some other candidate states, people in Albania almost unanimously support this EU membership application. It is time.
Albania today experiences the political and economic difficulties like many other countries in the world. In this time of pessimism, “Europe” is the last hope remained in the Pandora’s box. That said, my fellow Albanians, I give the words of a Japanese leader in the late 16th century, Shingen Takeda: “people are the trenches, people are the stone walls, and people are the castle.” Future of Albania is on your own hands, and people of Albania yourselves are the hope.
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Tom Hashimoto is Lecturer of Political Science and International Relations at University of New York in Tirana. He teaches diplomacy and international law.
