Barroso postpones planned visit to Tirana

Thursday 19 May 2011

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has postponed his visit to Albania due to political tensions surrounding the count of votes following the 8 May local elections in the country. “The tensions related to the ongoing vote count would undoubtedly affect the focus of the president’s discussions with the country’s political leaders and are not conducive to productive meetings,” said the Commission's press services, on 19 May.

Barroso, accompanied by the Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle, was supposed to arrive in Tirana, on 20 May, for a one-day visit after travelling earlier to Serbia and Kosovo (see Europolitics4204). Violent incidents reportedly took place in Tirana, on 18 May, during a demonstration staged by hundreds of Albanian opposition supporters against the delay in the release of results.

The opposition claims their leader, Edi Rama, was re-elected as mayor of the capital, Tirana, in the 8 May polls. They object to the electoral commission considering a recount of the votes, arguing the move threatens political stability.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has called on “all political leaders in Albania and in the city of Tirana to support the finalisation of the election process calmly, constructively and with a focus on the future”.