Interview with the Swedish Minister for European Affairs, Jessica Rosencrantz
The European Union is at a crucial moment of enlargement, and Albania is closer than ever to its goal of becoming part of the European family. In this exclusive interview, Swedish Minister for European Affairs Rosencrantz shares her views on the opportunities and challenges of this process, Sweden's role as a supporter and advocate for Albania in the EU, and the lessons that small countries can learn from the Swedish experience. The Swedish minister also talks about cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism and cultural exchanges.
Sweden is a strong supporter of Albania's EU membership. Given the evolving dynamics within the EU and the broader geopolitical challenges, what do you see as the opportunities and challenges the country faces on its path to membership?
With everything that is happening in the world, with a war on our continent, I think that today it is more important than ever for Europe to come together, and enlargement is an important part of that. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is a new momentum for enlargement, and there is strong support for enlargement among EU countries. Sweden is pushing hard for enlargement to move faster, but of course based on merit, which means that countries have to do their part. Albania has been quite impressive in reforming the justice system, the creation of SPAK is a clear example. I think that now it is important to maintain the momentum, and to continue with the reforms
If I were cynical, would I say that it was the war in Ukraine that accelerated the accession of the Balkan countries to the EU?
I think this has strengthened the conviction of the entire EU community that we must come together, that we must be stronger together. After several years where the enlargement process has not advanced much, now we must make sure that we move faster. This applies to all countries. Albania and Montenegro are two examples that are seen as leaders in this process with the clear aim of joining in the near future.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Sweden's membership in the EU. As a country with a developed welfare system and strong democratic institutions, what lessons can a small country like Albania learn from the Swedish experience in governance and reforms for EU membership?
This year has given us the opportunity to reflect on our membership, what we have gained from the EU. Sweden today has a stronger voice in the world thanks to the EU, our businesses have benefited from the common market with 450 million consumers and our citizens have benefits in their daily lives such as the opportunity for students to study abroad through the Erasmus program, the absence of roaming fees for phone calls or internet abroad, etc. The main lesson is that this is not a quick process, it takes time to build institutions and implement the necessary reforms. But it is a process that is worth it because making all these necessary reforms is also part of the work of joining the EU, and I would also like to emphasize that it is important to have a whole-of-society approach, including different actors in this process, political actors are very important, but also engagement with the community and different social factors is equally important.
Are there still voices in the EU expressing enlargement fatigue, and if so, how does Sweden promote the continuation of the enlargement process, especially for the Western Balkans?
I would not say that there is enlargement fatigue. On the contrary, countries are more united than ever in the need for enlargement, and that is something I am very pleased about. Sweden is pushing the enlargement process forward, ensuring that when a country has completed important reforms, then we should move forward with negotiations.
In EU language, this means opening a set of next negotiation chapters. We are working hard to accelerate this process, and we see great support from member states.
Sweden is known globally for its eco-friendly and sustainable tourism policies. Albania is proud that tourism is growing, with around 12 million tourists visiting the country last year. How can Albania benefit from the Swedish experience in promoting sustainable tourism and protecting its natural beauty?
First of all, I see that Albania is becoming an increasingly attractive tourist destination. I see this also among Swedes, and many Albanian friends tell me: “You should come to Albania for a holiday!” This is a very good thing, as it strengthens our cultural ties in many ways. When it comes to the environment and climate, Sweden has strong support for Albania in this area. We are working closely in this direction. This is one of the most difficult areas when it comes to EU enlargement and sometimes it does not get the attention it deserves in public debates, but it is extremely important. For a country like Albania, it is important to start early with environmental reforms, because these take time to implement. From my conversations today with government representatives, I see that this is a big priority for the government, and we are very happy to be able to help in this process.
In today's world, tourists want to go to beautiful places for vacation, but they also want these places to be environmentally friendly. So, it's a very good business opportunity.
More Albanians are traveling to Sweden for work, education or tourism. What initiatives can be explored to further strengthen cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries?
Albania is becoming a more attractive destination for Swedes. I would also welcome more Albanians to come to Sweden for tourism. This helps to strengthen our cultural ties. When people meet and get to know each other, support for EU enlargement also increases. For this reason, tourist and cultural exchanges are a very important factor.
Albania's commitment to reforms is essential for membership. In your opinion, which areas should be prioritized for Albania to meet EU standards more quickly?
A very important aspect is unity in the common security and foreign policy. Albania is fully aligned with the EU's foreign and security policy, and this is very important, especially nowadays.
Another essential point is judicial reform. There is nothing more important for a country that wants to become an EU member than to carry out fundamental reforms, especially those in the judiciary. Albania must continue on this path, and the creation of SPAK is a good example to follow.
You often mention the word “reform,” but reforms often bring pain. Given the Swedish economic model and its focus on sustainability, what best practices can Albania adopt to strengthen its economy ahead of EU membership?
One of the biggest benefits of Sweden being a member of the EU is the single market. The other member states have also benefited greatly from the single market of 450 million consumers. What I think is important before you become a member of the EU is to prepare for a discussion in society. What does this mean? What does this require of businesses? What does all this new legislation mean? So that would be one point. And then another point would be gradual integration. I mean, it doesn't have to be either out or in. It can be gradually integrated into the EU.
It can participate in different council formations politically, but it can also be involved to some extent in the single market before you are a member of the EU. And I think that is a good thing to also prepare the economy, businesses and politicians and society for becoming a member.
Sweden is often rated as one of the best countries to live and visit. What would you recommend for Albanians who want to see Sweden?
I think we need to spread the word more among Swedes that Albania is a fantastic place to vacation. And I, when I get back, will talk more about this that Albania is a fantastic place with fantastic opportunities to go on summer vacations. Swedes like to go on vacations where it's actually sunny, since we have quite a bit of darkness half the year in Sweden. It's important to spread the word so that more Swedes come here. And since we also have a fairly large diaspora, we have thousands of Albanians living in Sweden in fact, I think there's a good ground for more cooperation and cultural and economic and people-to-people relations.
And at the end of this sunny spring day in Albania, which meeting impressed you the most?
I am very happy to have met the Prime Minister, the chief negotiator for EU membership with the Foreign Minister, but also the representatives of the opposition in parliament and of course also with institutions like SPAK. I have a fairly broad view of how the debate is developing and I see a great will, a broad will to truly join the EU and to do the important and necessary reform work. And this makes me very happy that there is such great support from the public and from political parties for EU membership.
Is Sweden a supporter or an advocate of Albania in the EU?
Both. We support reforms and advocate for the opening of a new set of negotiation chapters this spring.
Interviewed by: Lutfi Dervishi (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
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