But do the international community representatives in Albania speak with one voice?
TIRANA TIMES
As Albania’s political deadlock drags on, the European Union has been one of the most important and active players trying to solve the political crisis.
The EU quickly established a special envoy to defuse any escalation of the crisis, like the violence seen on Jan. 21, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule has visited Albania several times, including his latest visit last week.
The EU has been very clear on where it stands in Albania and its political deadlock crisis. It has said Albania has a problem Albanians need to solve themselves. It has also noted the dispute between the two major Albanian political parties is seriously delaying Albania’s next steps toward EU integration and threatening the whole process.
The bottom line is that the EU has clearly demonstrated it wants to be an active player in solving the prolonged crisis in Albania, which was neglected for a long time, and allowed to fester until the violent protests of Jan. 21 in which four protestors were killed.
The role of the European Union has always been important for Albanians, and its increased presence in the latest crisis is certainly welcomed.
According to a study by the Albanian Institute for International Studies, the EU leads a list of ten states and international organizations — together with Italy and the United States — when it comes to strategic importance for Albania. And Albanians believe the government should pay more attention to the European Union, the study notes.
As Albania prepares to go to the polls in early May for the local elections, the EU has spoken with one voice in expressing its worry that the Albanian political parties are entering the political campaign in Albania bitterly still having not resolved their previous conflicts.
But while the EU is concerned, many of its member states are almost indifferent.
This is not unique to Albania, notes an AIIS expert. In many cases, the work of the European Union and its institutions is weakened and undermined by individuals or governments in member countries who do not necessarily hold same values and perceptions on democratic issues and European values.
Last, but not least, another important factor will be the stance and amount of engagement by the United States. Two senior U.S. State Department officials, including Deputy Secretary James Steinberg, have visited Tirana recently, a sign the Americans also want to have an active role.
The top U.S. diplomat in Tirana has particularly been vocal about the fact that the Albanian political deadlock needs to be solved by democratic means and the best values for which Albania can aspire.
The presence of two senior U.S. State Department officials in Albania reflects worry on the part of the United States, which played a vital role in the Albania’s democratization process.
But in the meantime, the U.S. ambassador to Albania has been placed at the center of criticism by some media which are close to the opposition Socialist Party. According to these voices, the U.S. ambassador has shown bias by favoring the government. It is the first time that we see multiple articles focusing in criticism of this type in a country that is well-known for this pro-American stance.
One thing is for certain, the government and the opposition are entering into the election campaign in a tense climate of conflict, a dispute that stems from the aftermath of the previous general elections. It will be a miracle to have an electoral process that is accepted by all and helps resolve the political conflict that has kept Albania deadlocked for two years.
At the end of the day, no matter how active the role of the international community is, the solution has to come from within
Albania. But it is also important that, as seen immediately after the Jan. 21 events, the international representatives should speak with one voice, exert the same pressure everywhere so there is no perception among the Albanian parties that they can deal better with one actor than the other.
