Fleckenstein and Kukan, open letter to Albanian citizens

“Being very concerned by the numerous and serious acts of violence which took place in Tirana on Saturday 11 May during anti-governmental demonstrations, I have initiated a cross-partisan European open letter together with my colleague MEP Eduard Kukan (EPP) to the Albanian citizens, participating in the protests, calling them to restrain from all forms of violence and to stay away from violent events”, Fleckenstein said.

A cross-partisan European appeal to the Albanian citizens:

Dear Friends in Albania,

We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament have pushed since years for Albania’s EU integration and for making progress in the relevant reforms. We are friends of Albania and we are convinced that Albania is an enrichment for the European Union. It is why we will continue our support for Albania’s EU integration also in the future.

But it is with great concern that we saw images of violence in Tirana last Saturday, 11 May. The right to protest is crucial in any democratic society. However, this can never legitimate violence.

We, Members of the European Parliament from different political families, call on all participants to the protests announced for upcoming days in Tirana, to refrain from all forms of violence and to stay away from such violent events. We also call on all political leaders to show responsibility and restrain.

As Members of the European Parliament, we do not aim at interfering with the demonstrations. We want to simply recall, that only the democratic institutions and processes, parliamentary dialogue, legal procedures, free and fair elections – can legitimately resolve the serious challenges the Albanian society is experiencing.

Our job as Members of the European Parliament is to encourage the progress made by Albania, and to support the country on its way towards the European integration. In this respect, we feel the urge of addressing you, the Albanian citizens today. At the same time, we keep calling on all political leaders not to jeopardize the country’s prospects on its European path. Therefore, we count on you, the citizens and civil society to push our common goals.

The images we saw last Saturday, could give the wrong impression that Albania is not ready for the opening of the accession negotiations in June this year. Citizens of Albania: As friends of Albania and supporters of its EU integration, we urge you to send out a clear message to the world that Albania is mature to solve its conflicts in a peaceful and democratic way.

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