Albania sceptical of EU chief’s enlargement push

As European Council Chief Charles Michel called for a new deadline for enlargement of the European Union, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said he appreciated the gesture, but It could need a lot longer than that.

After years of stagnation and falling confidence in the accession process among several member states, enlargement has received a few pushes from the EU side in recent months. Namely since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also with EU elections looming in summer 2024 and US elections set for next autumn.

At the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, which took place on Monday, Michel called for a new deadline for EU enlargement, namely 2030.

“At the time when we are preparing the future agenda of the EU, we must also set clear goals before ourselves. I believe that we should be ready, from both sides, to expand in 2030. This means that the next multi-year budget should also include these goals of ours. This is very ambitious but necessary. It shows that we are serious. It will create momentum,” he said.

Michel added that it is time the EU keeps its promises, referencing the years many countries have spent languishing in the bloc’s waiting room.

He said enlargement would be a key topic at the upcoming EU summit, particularly bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina back on the agenda and opening negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

Rama, however, was not so optimistic.

Thanking Michel for suggesting a new deadline, he explained that the process is not as simple as the EU simply moving the goalposts, and he called for reform.

“There should not only be reforms and criticism that are necessary, but also the most consistent support, and I’m not talking only from the financial point of view, but also the market access of our enterprises,” he said.

Rama added that while the EU has been discussing infrastructure for many years, the tangible investment in the region has come from China, “Arabs,” and the United States.

“What is happening all these years in these countries is that on the one hand, through the Berlin Process, we talked about infrastructure and how to finance the projects, on the other hand, the infrastructure is being built by the Americans, the Chinese and the Arabs,” he added.

He then explained how during Albania’s 50 years of communist rule, it was completely shut off from the rest of the world, the country has become the most pro-European and pro-American in the world, but this is not enough for enlargement.

“I have always known that working 50 years for free against the West, Enver Hoxha made us more pro-European and more pro-American than anyone else. It will take us another 50 years after the fall of communism until we are not pro-European and pro-Western.”

We have another 20 years of Euro-optimism, and I hope that by then you have fulfilled your promise”, said Rama.

His comments mark a slight shift in tone from previous ones which have called for the EU to meet its promises sooner rather than later, but it is not the first time Rama has called for EU reform.

In an interview with EURACTIV in 2018, Rama said,”I don’t think it’s reasonable to set a deadline. I fully agree with Macron in that first we need to reform the EU before further enlargement.”

He added, “Europe needs the Balkans to the same extent that the Balkans need Europe, to address security concerns, territorial cohesion and border control. Leaving the Balkans aside would amount to creating a grey area in the middle of Europe, which could end up under foreign influence. And this would obviously not benefit Europe.”

Then in July 2022, he said the EU is outdated and needs to be changed, and compared EU accession to a bride. “We are waiting for the bride to come from Brussels, but in one year, two years, three years, she never came. If she comes to marry us without music and immediately in bed and having children, let her come.”

“Of course, I am joking, but imagine you want to get married and the bride never shows up”.

He also told EURACTIV prior to the EU-Western Balkan Summit in 2022 that enlargement is not an exam to be cheated on and countries must do more work to progress.

“We should not forget that the integration process is an individual-based, merit-based process. We have to fulfil homework criteria standards, and it’s not an exam to be cheated. Even, even if the professors are very inclined to give you a way out. It’s in your best interest that you get this exam right,” Rama said.

He has also criticised the EU’s financial assistance, saying it has become clear the bloc is no longer meeting the regions needs and this is why the Open Balkan initiative was started.

“Today, it is clear that the EU needs us as much as we need the EU….This is the reason that we started to push in this direction by proactively cooperating with each other as countries and in particular with North Macedonia, to achieve this common goal,” he said.

Michel, however, was clear that reform should come from both sides, but especially the EU.

“Not reforming on our side before the next enlargement would be a fundamental mistake,” Michel said. “It only makes sense for new member states to join a Union that’s functioning well, that’s efficient,” he stated.

But this should be done quickly, despite it being ambitious.

“This is ambitious, but necessary. It shows that we are serious,” adding a timeline would grant the bloc more credibility.

Rama said he looked forward to Michel’s comments materialising “in real steps forward.”

(Alice Taylor | EURACTIV.com)