Foreign press: Albania received the status
04/06/2014

The prestigious Financial Times was among the first foreign media outlets which wrote about Albania’s candidate status, a move that might cause an antagonism among the populist European Anti-EU parties, which won more supporters in the elections of the European Parliament.

“The move for getting a closer approach of poor and mostly Muslim countries are very divisive, especially due to the fear that uncontrolled and unorganized immigration is planting among the old continent”, the newspaper says.

Germany, Netherlands, Britain and France opposed Albania’s candidacy during the last year, while countries such as Italy and Greece have argued that deeper EU integration of Balkan states will help reduce social and political conflict in the region.

The newspaper quotes Stefan Fuele, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, and says that “on Wednesday will deliver a report in Tirana stating that Albania has made sufficient progress in areas such as corruption, organised crime and judicial reform to become a candidate to join the union. Diplomats said that the 28 member states would then be likely to approve the candidacy at a meeting at the end of this month. Albania is already a Nato member.”

The article says that the European Commission had proposed to give the candidate status on December, but the suggestion was opposed by some member coutnries, with the argument that Albania needed more progress as regards the rule of law.

The article says that “The decision on awarding candidacy to Albania – once the secretive dictatorship of Enver Hoxha – is a test for the EU when both populist and mainstream parties are sceptical about the EU’s ability to take on more members in the aftermath of the eurozone crisis.”

The article says that “While Britain’s eurosceptic Ukip party has described Albania’s candidacy as “utter madness”, David Cameron, the UK prime minister, has also used it as political leverage. In December, Mr Cameron threatened to veto EU enlargement unless new rules were agreed to stop “vast migrations”.”

The article quotes a declaration of Prime Minister Rama,who “warned that it would be “dangerous” for the EU to turn its back on the Balkans, as all progress towards peace and prosperity there had come about because of an aspiration to join the EU.”

A series of foreign media have reported the news for the support from Brussels and for Albania’s candidacy with the argument that our country deserves the status, while the last word belongs to the European Union Council with the decision that will be taken by the end of the month. At any case, according to Financial Times, the path towards accession will be long and difficult, since no new members are expected in the block until 2021