FT opinion piece: The EU must protect, not discard, Albania’s reforms

The prestigious Financial Times has devoted an extended article to Albania and the upcoming decision of 28 June by the European Council.

The article is penned by Willem van Nieuwkerk is director of the Center for International Legal Cooperation in The Hague, Netherlands, and therefore, a great attention has been paid to the veto that Holland seems to put on Albania’s integration into the European Union.

The article holds the intriguing title ‘The EU must protect, not discard, Albania’s reforms’.

“[T]he Dutch parliament has just ordered the government to block further progress in formal EU accession talks with the country. I understand the Dutch political pressures behind this decision, but I can only regret the international implications and the likely repercussions in Albania itself,” reads the opinion piece.

According to the author, the reform agenda seems to become the biggest victim, and consequently the Albanians as well.

“We believe the Albania Model, as it is becoming known, is working and will be successful. Step by step, by combining far-reaching structural changes with operational collaboration on fighting organised crime and cleansing of the judiciary, confidence in the rule of law is being built,” states the piece further on.

“[T]he forthcoming Dutch veto at the European Council meeting on June 28-29 could slow or halt this progress. Without the EU’s agreement to begin the next step in Albania’s path to integration, the reformers currently in power may not be able to withstand the vested interests and revanchist forces working against the changes,” concludes the author.

Meanwhile, EU diplomats have stated for Reuters that France and the Netherlands are holding out against European Union plans to allow membership talks with Albania and Macedonia over concerns the decision could further stoke anti-immigration sentiment in the bloc.

With broad support for membership talks from other EU governments and the European Commission, Albania and Macedonia hope Europe ministers will agree the go-ahead at a meeting on Tuesday in Luxembourg, which EU leaders would support at a summit on Thursday.

SCAN

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