Albania Eyes End of Political Logjam

Albania's parliament

The two feuding parties are expected to hold talks on electoral reform and approve in parliament laws which require a qualified majority.  

In a statement on November 15 President Bamir Topi called on the politicians pass the reforms necessary for the country’s stalled EU bid.

“Political dialogue and institutional reforms, although late, are a major obligation and challenge for Albania’s political class, in our country’s efforts to meet the necessary standards for EU integration,” Topi said.  
Albania’s bid for EU candidate status has been received coolly in Brussels, where EU officials eyed with dismay the protracted political crisis between the right-wing government of Sali Berisha and its leftist opponents.

Tirana first applied for EU candidate country status in April 2009, but its bid was turned down by the European Commission last October on the grounds that insufficient progress had been made in political dialogue and in the fight against organized crime and corruption.

The commission last year issued 12 recommendations that needed to be addressed with reforms before Tirana could obtain candidate status and get a date set for negotiations.  

But Edi Rama’s Socialists and Berisha’s Democrats, Albania’s main parties, have remained at loggerheads since the disputed parliamentary elections of 2009.

For the better part of 2010 the Socialist opposition boycotted parliament or participated only formally, protesting alleged irregularities in the poll while calling for a parliamentary investigation of the alleged fraud.

The political standoff culminated on January 21 when an anti-government demonstration clashed with police, leaving four protestors dead and dozens wounded.

On October 15, Tirana received yet another thumbs down for its application, which has added to the mood of scepticism about the country’s ability to make any progress toward membership.