Bostinaru-Topalli confrontation at EP

This session was attended by the highest European institution, Members of the European Parliament and also Balkan representatives, except Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia.

Victor Bostinaru, vice chairman of EP delegation for Balkan, said:

“President of the European Parliament, President of the European Commission, Prime Minister Orban. I want to start my speech with a short clause of the protocol. As you know, President Buzek, on March 7th I informed you on a declaration made against me, a European Parliament member and vice chairmen of the Delegation for Western Balkan, by Jozefina Topalli, Albanian Parliament Speaker, who is also present here today.

Mrs. Topalli accused me on February 14th, from the Albanian Parliament, on the position of Albanian Parliament Speaker, as racist, anti-Albanian and corrupted. She also added that I have appealed against the visa liberalization process for Albania. The declaration of Mrs. Topalli is unfounded; therefore it is very serious and unacceptable. It doesn’t offend only me and my dignity, but also the institutions, the European Parliament itself. As you know, Mr. President, the Conference of Chairmen discussed this matter thoroughly one month ago. I was also informed that you, Mr. President, from the highest position of the European Parliament, tried many times through diplomatic and not diplomatic channels to convince Mrs. Topalli to take the accusations back. I don’t want to make a debate out of this, because it would be useless, since today we are focused on a very important matter for the European Union and our continent in general. But I wanted to emphasize this matter in a meeting of this level. Thank you!”

Jozefina Topalli, Albanian Parliament Speaker:

“Thank you very much, Mr. President. I totally agree with Mr. Bostinari that all that he said are useless. This is not a Topalli-Bostinari incident. Bostinari has proposed without any reason to block the Albanian visa liberalization, to re-impose the ‘Berlin Wall’ to the Albanian people. I am one of the 3.2 million Albanians, and I considered this anti-Albanian proposition as something very unpleasant. I considered it racist, low and motivated by very low purposes. I underline that this proposition ‘alla Causcescu’ is clearly sponsored by anti-Albanian circles. This is the reality. If anyone gets offended by the reality, than falsity does not belong to the reality, does not belong to 3.2 million Albanians and neither to Jozefina Topalli. Thank you very much.”

Beside this incident, Jozefina Topalli spoke on the fact that Albania has implemented important reforms to become a NATO member, that the economic growth has increased and the debt has decreased. She also said that Albania should be a model for the coexistence of four religious communities.

Albanian Parliament Speaker attended only the second day of the conference, during the debates between the three most important institutions in Brussels. According to President Buzek’s press office, the planned meeting with Parliament Speaker Topalli was canceled. The Kukan press office told Top-Channel that Mrs. Topalli did not ask a meeting, although they would have preferred to discuss with her.

Top Channel