EP to Repeat Call on Albania to End Stalemate

Albanians vote in the June 2009 parliamentary electionsEuropean deputies will vote today on a draft resolution on Albania that calls on the politicians in Tirana to end the political stalemate that the country continues to face more than one year after the parliamentary elections of June 2009.

The draft resolution stresses that “fully functioning institutions, especially the Parliament, are the backbone of a consolidated democratic system and (...) an important political criterion for EU integration".

In the resolution that will be voted on Thursday, MEPs acknowledge Albania's progress on reform, but stress the need for further substantial efforts to consolidate democracy and the rule of law and foster the country's sustainable development, including a reform of the judicial system and the fight against corruption, which "is still a prevailing problem".

The text, drafted by Greek MEP Nikolaos Chountis, reminds the Albanian authorities that one of the prerequisites for membership in the EU is judicial reform, including the enforcement of court decisions and ensuring the separation of powers in a democratic society. “A transparent, impartial and efficient judiciary, independent of any political and other pressures or control, is fundamental to the rule of law,” the draft resolution says.

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The text of the draft resolution welcomes Albania's initiatives to waive visa requirements for the EU neighborhood countries. However, MEPs warn that these initiatives should be taken in parallel with the visa liberalisation process underway between the Schengen countries and countries of the Western Balkans.