During her report to the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos asked MEPs to pay attention to the political situation in Albania and the elections that will take place in May.
German Michael Gahler, a member of the European People's Party group, asked to pay attention to what he described as the increasingly egocentric behavior of Prime Minister Edi Rama. More focus on the elections in Albania and their impact on the enlargement process was called for by Alberico Gambino, of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, A2 wrote.
Meanwhile, Andrej Kovachev, from the European People's Party group, called on the new commissioner to ensure greater involvement of the opposition in Albania: "Please, when you go to Albania, talk to a wide range of stakeholders. The Prime Minister there is displaying egocentric behavior in the way he is exercising his power, which is not in line with EU standards. Please, look carefully at Albania specifically."
With general elections approaching in Albania in May of this year, it would be useful for the commission to consider what needs to be done to avoid foreign interference. And we need to see coordinated action so that processes in Albania develop properly.
"The most important thing right now is to enable a democratic electoral process with the inclusion of the opposition and all other parties. I am glad that you will hold meetings with them," Kovachev emphasized.
Recalling that Albania and Montenegro are the main contenders to join the bloc, Kos assured MEPs that the rule of law, democracy and internal reforms will be at the heart of the negotiation process, which will continue to be based on meritocracy. Announcing that she will visit Albania in February, she said that she will also meet with members of the opposition, whose involvement, together with civil society, is essential. Kos said that she will support Albania's objective to conclude the negotiation process by the end of 2027, while expressing the expectation that the Polish presidency will do what has not been done in 10 years regarding enlargement: "We can have more progress during the Polish presidency than we had in the last ten years. We can have up to ten intergovernmental conferences." (A2 Televizion)
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