CDU/CSU Vice-President: “Albania finds itself in dangerous political crisis”

SManalysis

By Tirana Times
May 10, 2019 12:11



Albania finds itself in a dangerous political crisis... Even if the Rama government has a majority in parliament, it must be prepared to make real compromises. We are prepared to help overcome the crisis if both sides have the will to do so.


“Albania finds himself in a dangerous political crisis. This is bad for the EU perspective of the country. It is therefore the duty of all pro-European parties in government and opposition to approach each other and be prepared to make real compromises. If both sides are not prepared to do so, they question their country’s EU perspective,” Wadephul said.

Further on, Wadephul said if the government and opposition continue like this, they will strengthen those forces that want to promote nationalism and pursue the path of a grander Albania, as well as encourage third powers to intervene in Albania’s affairs.

“To say it bluntly: Grand Albanian plans will be the end of Albania’s EU perspective! That is why the government and the opposition have a responsibility to overcome the crisis immediately. Even if the Rama government has a majority in parliament, it must be prepared to make real compromises. We are prepared to help overcome the crisis if both sides have the will to do so,” he said.

Among the obstacles, he mentioned the ever-present need to advance the fight against corruption and organized crime, in order for the country to meet the conditions to open accession negotiations. In this regard, he said the implementation of laws is particularly important.

“Albanian laws, for example, prohibit vote buying. Nevertheless, there is no prosecution by the public prosecutor’s office and no arrests against those persons who have been proven to have bought votes by means of interception records. If there is not real progress here very soon, my group will not be able to agree to the opening of accession negotiations,” he said.

Asked whether the Berlin summit held last week, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel achieved something, he said there was a valuable and critical exchange of views regarding the issue of border change and landswap between Kosovo and Serbia. According to him, the meeting’s decisive result was the upcoming Paris meeting on July 1.

“There, concrete questions on the continuation of the normalization process between Kosovo and Serbia will be discussed. The continuation of this process is urgently needed, we finally need progress in the relations between the two countries, otherwise there is a danger of new conflicts,” he added.

Concerning the idea of territorial exchange, or ‘border correction’ as it was labelled by Kosovo and Serbian leaders upon first mentioning it as a solution to the then-ongoing EU-mediated negotiations between the two countries, Wadephul said he believes it to be the worst option for Western Balkans’ stability.


“In the concluding statement on the Berlin meeting, all Heads of State and Government stressed that the agreements between Serbia and Kosovo must serve regional stability. This is a rejection of all considerations for a landswap or for the drawing of ethnic borders. Trust between Serbs and Kosovars and stability in the region can only be achieved through legally binding agreements to normalize relations, not through talk of territorial exchanges,”Wadephul concluded.