After the consensus of this Tuesday for reviewing Albania’s candidacy in
June, five European Union member countries decided that Albania was not
ready for this step.
“Our approach is to have everyone closer according to their individual conditions, because everyone has different development criteria. I think that we should keep the door open, but there should be elementary conditions, like the rule of law and protection of investments. I fear it hasn’t been the case for Albania in the past year. I understand the approach of some member countries for postponing the final decision”, declared Jiri Rusnok, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
TCH: Do you think that this could reduce the enthusiasm for the European reforms, and could that affect the European elections?
Rusnok: “This is a very difficult question, because I am not involved in Albania’s current events”.
TCH: But you are with the European elections…
Rusnok: “I think Albania needs to take some significant steps to prepare for the status”.
“Albania has made progress, but is not ready for the European Union yet. Albania has achieved the necessary criteria on paper, but they should be realized. Netherlands is not in favor of opening the negotiations now”, declared Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Netherlands.
Vesna Pusnic, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia, declared: “Croatia has supported the candidate status of Albania, because we think that Albania not only has improved the legislation, but has also shown it with implementation, by making significant progress for the candidate status. For this, they had an essential support, although there have been reserves. But with the spirit of compromise, Croatia now supports the Council’s decision to give Albania the status in the first half of the next year, if all criteria are completed”.
“Estonia supports a further enlargement of the European Union. If the European Union was a success story for Estonia, it should be also for Albania. The European Union enlargement is a matter of criteria. If candidates fulfill the criteria, they will be welcomed in the Union. So, I wish you a welcome in the Union”, declared Andrus Ansip, Prime Minister of Estonia.
TCH: We weren’t welcomed this December, and after six months there will be the Euroepan elections and the attention might not be the same for enlargement?
Ansip: “We made our choise 20 years ago in Estonia, and that was to join the European Union. It was a clear goal and we made painful reforms for our country. But today we can say that it was the right decision. We didn’t play games with Brussels. We didn’t say that we didn’t like some reforms but we would do them anyway. We did everything for ourselves, and today Estonia is ranked among the countries with the best economic models. The finances are good. It was a right decision for joining the union. You should be patient. One day we will be altogether in the European Union”.
The European summit confirmed the conclusions of the Council of Ministers for te enlargement package, including the postponement of Albania’s candidacy in Autumn. This was the last meeting under the direction of Lithuania. After the winter holidays, Greece will lead for the next six months.
Top Channel
