EU: Time is running out

“It was not a definitive deadline by the Commission, but it was what Commissioner Fule declared in Tirana a few weeks ago, and at the Council meeting of last week, that the November agreement should be implemented before the start of the presidential election, which is today. But May 24th has not ended yet, and you must not lose any time, because it is really running out”, declared Peter Stano, Spokesperson for Commissioner Stefan Fule.

Stano repeated the essential importance of a quick end of the electoral and the parliamentary reform, so that the remained time can be used for fulfilling the other key priorities that would enable the recommendation of the candidate status this autumn.

He added that the consequent deadline postponements and the failure to keep the commitments is the next hit for Albania’s credibility.

“As I said, May 24th has not ended yet, hence I would not jump to conclusions and consequences. But time is running out and this is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed. When the Commissioner was in Tirana, he was guaranteed by the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader that they will really work for concluding the electoral reform without delays. What we are saying is that we expect the promises to be kept. We are waiting for concrete results, and I repeat it that time is running out. We have made repeated appeals to the Albanian leaders and we appeal them once again to work on these matters and close them soon and without obstacles, because there is still too much work to do for fulfilling the 12 key criteria, and this is very important”, Stano added.

Despite the consequent chances given by the commission regarding different deadlines, the failure of the Albanian side to keep their promise and to fulfill the electoral and parliamentary reform on time, or the effect of this delay in the level of accomplishment for the other conditions set by the Commission, put endanger the candidate status for the third consequent year.

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