Fule: Albanian politics must look forward

Stefan Fule says that the famous dinner at “Crocodile” would have changed Albania, if an agreement would have been signed there.

Fule comments with regret about the troubled relations with the opposition and its leader, Lulzim Basha. He advises the Albanian politicians to realize all-inclusive reforms and dialogue, rather than political war.

Top Channel: “From the fulfillment of requests to political transformation where the evidence track takes significance. Was this mandate successful for you? As we know, Croatia became an EU member, Montenegro and Serbia started negotiations, while Albania received the candidate status last June. Was this your goal five years ago, when you took the first files? Especially for Albania?”

Stefan Fule: “I came with a vision to turn the enlargement into a top instrument for the external policy of the European Union. I came with the vision to make enlargement credible enough, that all the focus as far as the enlargement is concerned, keeps the political dimension of it. I was so keen to create the condition. We do not bring the EU members at the same time to establish the corporation verification mechanism still sort of to monitor the implementation of the job being done during the accession negotiations. And it was later on when together with my colleagues we have tried to deliver on that vision. We have tried to deliver the instrument how to bring that credibility. That is the secret behind those three pillars of enlargement.

Top Channel:  Your mandate was marked by the dinner at “Crocodile”, or the failure of the opposition’s boycott; the explosion in Gerdec with 26 victims; the sacrifice of the former political prisoners and the January 21st protests, when 4 protesters were killed by the authorities, and also the elections for which both parties claimed victory. January 21st remains the most serious event in a democratic society, but the stance of the EU was unclear. Do you think that you could have influenced for a better progress of these events, if Rama and Berisha would have answered positively to your invitation letter of 2011?

Stefan Fule: There has been always this potential in Albania, among the Albanian citizens. I think also among the Albanian politicians. I concur with you that if this Crocodile would have had a positive outcome, we might have seen even better progress today. But sometimes you try to do your best, sometimes you try to create the conditions for the others to agree. But sometimes it doesn’t depend on you. But rather than me spending a lot of time looking into the past and trying to answer the questions, which even I do find an answer, it’s not going to change that much. I’m trying to look forward. The progress report for Albania is not that much about the past 12 months, it is also about the future of Albania in the next 12 months, and maybe the next five years of Johannes Hahn.

Top Channel: How do you interpret the letter of President Junker to Commissioner Hahn for the negotiations? How do you see the role of national parliaments, and what should Albania expect from the Austrian candidate for Commissioner?

Shtefan Fyle: The mission statement of my successor is absolutely fine. I see a continuity of what has been doing as far as the Commission is concerned, with full acknowledgement, everyone agrees, I hope, that enlargement is a political process ran by the member states, not necessarily by the Commission. Which ensures exactly what my colleague is trying to show, that the process is credible and prepares the new member states to be fully prepared for the membership. Johannes Hahn has been a member of the current Commission. He has seen the work being done in this area. We have been sitting together, there will be a smooth transfer of this, and we are both committed for that. The continuity is also ensured by a very strong experience with enlargement.

Top Channel: Especially after this report, you are more praised by the government than the opposition. How would you describe Prime Minister Rama? Is he following the right approach with the opposition?

Stefan Fule: I’m not the one to make the judgment if this or that Prime Minister is dealing right with this or that opposition. Absolutely not. You know that I was always the one who tried to tell politicians that please, once you are in government, as result of elections, please try to behave as you want your opponents to behave when you go next time in opposition. I think this is a very important point. There is no easy relationship between majority and minority. We are talking about a region of Europe where there is a feeling that once you win the elections you take everything, everything is yours. It is not like that. Democracy has its own rules, and one of those rules is that for a strong democracy, you need to have a strong democratic opposition. And the opposition, to be strong and constructive, you need to create the conditions. During the last dialogue I have seen some small opening. I think there are, at least I have heard, some clearly formulated requests which would have enabled the opposition to come back. They are very much linked to what I already addressed. It is very important the control and function of the opposition in Parliament, so I hope very much that this was actually the first positive step, and that it has been reciprocated by the Prime Minister, also signaling quite clearly that he is ready to play his part in ensuring that the opposition joins the Parliament.

Top Channel: Do you think that the Rama government can fulfill the reforms for the negotiations?

Stefan Fule: I believe that those politicians the citizens of Albania elected to form the government are the ones who are capable to deliver on those reforms. Absolutely. By the way, you have started with a lot of negative elements. But I would add that the last parliamentary election and the smooth transfer of power, this renewed consensus among the most important political parties in favor of the European agenda, and the concrete reform steps supported also by the current opposition, initiated by them when they were in power, which resulted in the candidate status.

Top Channel: The opposition leader, Basha, has declared that the Democratic Party sees the European values at the new Commissioner, Hahn. They have even refused to answer to two of your letters for an invitation. Any comment on this?

Stefan Fule: One comment. For me it was very important, in general terms in the external policy of the European Union, but even more specifically, the enlargement,  to play a bipartisan role, or to make sure that our policy is bipartisan. It is not a secret that I am being associated with the Socialist group at the European Parliament. I am not a Socialist. But in whatever I have been doing in the last five years, in exercising my functions, this affiliation was the last thing that mattered. On the contrary, I was the one who brought in the “Crocodile” restaurant the representatives of the two biggest political families, and I have been telling the representatives of both the EPP and Socialists that you have a special responsibility in working together. You have a special responsibility, rather than being part of the political life with Albania and other Western Balkan countries, to get together, support the European agenda, because this is the only way how to create good incentives and good examples for the political parties themselves. I have never missed the opportunity to talk with the opposition. I have never missed the opportunity to listen to their agreements as well as their remarks, their proposals. I have good record of many of them interacting with me. Sometimes they were from this political family, sometimes from a different political family. It’s only a pity that in some countries, despite my efforts, the dialogue and the communication has not been very active.

Top Channel: What opportunities do you see at this government for getting the opposition closer, while the boycott tactics is still going on in the Albanian politics?

Stefan Fule: This has been one of the new elements in this new progress report, because we made clear a couple of points that we believe. The point number one is that walking out of the Parliament is a big and important political message. As such, it could hardly contribute to a sustainable solution of the issue, because of which the party of the minority has walked out. Another point we are trying to make is that it is in the government’s interest that the opposition plays its control role in Parliament, and that it does not take its case on the street. But it is not only in the interest of the government. The government needs to create the conditions for it. That was one of the questions I asked during the recent high-level dialogue. We have here the ruling of the Constitutional Court. We have the demand of the opposition to establish a Parliamentary investigative committee. Why there is such a delay? Why not to provide the opposition with the opportunity to exercise its control function in democracy. But there is also a responsibility of the opposition. Their responsibility is that within those conditions and framework, they should exercise their role by being constructive and to make their points in Parliament, to strengthen this most important institution, rather than taking the case on the street. And the last point… it was interesting to see that in the absence of the opposition in Parliament, we had a very good debate within the high-level dialogue. It was the credit of the Prime Minister, to the credit of the former integration Minister, now member of the integration committee, Mrs.Bregu, because both the government and the opposition used this platform for interacting on the European agenda. It doesn’t mean that we have always had smooth conversations and agreements. On the contrary. The discussion sometimes was very open and very frank. This is very important, because we are looking for the right platform for the inclusive reforms. The government is absolutely right in saying “we have been elected based on our program, and our program is about this reform steps and we want to implement it. That’s how we chose”. But for those reforms to be sustainable, to take into account the views of as many citizens as possible, you need the inclusive process and you need to listen to the opposition. You need to engage the civil society, you need to reflect on what they are suggesting. It doesn’t take away from you the responsibility of running the country. But in the end, it provides you with a set of policies which will not be questioned in the next time of elections. As such, will move Albania steadily closer to the European Union, rather than creating these ups and downs with the development. I have seen some small openings during the last high-level dialogue and I hope very much that the government and the opposition will be ready to deliver on those small openings.

Top Channel: In its closed meetings, the European Parliament, including the European Popular Parties, speaks about an immature political culture in Albania. The Croatian European MP, Picula, made a question to Vlahutin, the new Chief of the EU delegation to Tirana. Do you think that a country where the government and the opposition do not communicate, will be able to promote regional dialogue?

Stefan Fule: I think that this is not necessarily the most important question, whether Albania could promote a dialogue when it lacks of its own dialogue within the country. I think it is about the credibility here. You are more credible in promoting the regional dialogue if you are able to deliver on the dialogue in your own country. I’m saying that being aware and appreciating the constructive role that Albania has been playing in the region, by this government and by the previous government, this role and this manner is positive. It would strengthen further the capacities of Albania to play, and I think there is a need for it, there is the space for it, for an even more important role in the region, if there is this good example that the same dialogue that Albania is promoting regionally, is the rule that is being followed in Albania itself.

Top Channel: What do you think about the involvement of Albania in the Balkan region. What do you expect from the Berlin process. Will this bring additional funds for the joint projects in infrastructure or energy, or the regional countries will only expect it from IPA II.

Stefan Fule: The Berlin process was very successful because it started something new. With this I mean the following suite of elements being put together. The content provided by the European Commission, which is a new concept of economic government, and a new approach to the regional connectivity. Secondly, regional cooperation. And here I’m talking about the Western Balkan 6 cooperation. This enhanced cooperation within the stabilization association process, which is informal framework for the six countries which are on their way to joining the European Union, to work jointly on the agenda which is linked to the accession process. And the third element is the clearly expressed support by Germany and some other countries participating at this meeting, at the highest level. This access of Berlin was putting these three things together. The important thing of putting these elements together, is that it creates not only just another opportunity where the politicians could talk, but it actually starts the process where we could use the instruments and the resources we have prepared for indeed moving from the academic and political discussion, about which corridor should connect the capitals of the region, and which corridor should connect the region and the European Union, to move it to the phase of implementation. On 23rd of October we will have a very important conference in Belgrade, where six countries of the region will gather, and the Commission, and also the international financial institutions, where we will be able for the first time to talk concretely on how we can jointly work with the economic governments, so that we can work on the benefit of the whole region, and what needs to be the concrete steps that not sometimes in a distant future. But what the real timeframe work is, the realistic roadmap, setting up the priorities for the transport and the energy interconnection within the region and between the region and the European Union. There is a bigger commitment, there are bigger resources for that. This is one of those new elements in our approach to the enlargement area and this current financial perspective 2014-2020, where we will be supporting more specific sectors and we will not shy away to support a big project to the benefit of not only one country, but the whole region.

Top Channel: In the period 2007-2013, the EU spent more than half a billion Euros to help Albania with the reforms in general. Do you think that this money was spent properly, especially when we see the findings of the report about the public administration and judiciary reforms?

Stefan Fule: The money which are intended to bring the country closer to the European standards are well spent. We have our own rather strict system of making sure that the money of the EU are indeed spent in the most efficient way, and that there are concrete results behind that. In a number of concrete cases we have had no problems stopping the support of projects that are not delivering. Could Albania or any other country make even a better use of the resources we offer? You bet! You could. Another country could. We also are contributing to this process by coming with the IPA II, which is a more flexible instrument. An instrument that very much would rely on strengthening the capacity of the candidate countries to run these programs on their own. It is important that Albania and other countries prepare themselves in not a distant future to be responsible for all those resources that the European Union would be ready to invest in your infrastructure, in your economy, to get you closer to the European Union also economically. The question about the judiciary is an important one. This is one of the area where the government has a very clear idea to proceed with the reforms. This is also one of the areas where we have one very clear recommendation, which is “please, make sure that you build on the expertise of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, and on their advise and expertise and of the European Commission. Secondly, and even more importantly, make sure that it is inclusive, that the opposition is a part of it, and that you consult the society. Some steps have been already taken there, without the involvement of the Venice Commission and ours. Without consulting the opposition. I think that it is important that the second stage, is that the government makes it as inclusive as possible. On the sixth of October, a very important conference or event, organized by the President of Albania and by the Justice Minister, was a good example that such a cooperation is possible, and could be extremely useful. I think one more point there, the very important result of the high-level dialogue, was also that we have agreed that one of the working groups will set up to move us forward in those five key areas. The group on the judiciary reform, in which the opposition also takes part, and we will use this not as a substitution of the work which needs to be done in Parliament, but as an additional platform for interaction between the government, the opposition and other important stage-holders, and the Venice Commission and the European Commission.

Top Channel: The atmosphere of that conference organized in Tirana for that process seemed polarized. How do you think this will affect the opening of the negotiations, and do you believe that this process could start before the general elections of 2017?

Stefan Fule: As concerns what are the prospects of the future, that is not in the hands of the Commission. That depends on the politicians in Albania and the stage holders. We are here creating the opportunities. The high-level dialogue is to help you clarify what needs to be done, assisting you and delivering on those five key priorities. Bringing other players, like the Venice Commission, making sure that all of that is an inclusive process. I hope we helped as much as we could. Not to talk about money and other issues. Ask your politicians. Ask those who are in government and those who are in opposition. When it is that they want to deliver on those five priorities? When it is that they want to open the accession negotiations. When do they see Albania as a part of the European Union.

Top Channel: Since you took off, the country keeps not fulfilling the Stabilization Association Agreement point on the copyright issues; the property issue is still not resolved; there are still political interventions on the media, and there is still a request for pro-active investigations of high-level corruption. How far is Albania from the European practice?

Stefan Fule: It is not about the EU standard. There are five key priorities, and the issues you have are actually covered by those five key priorities. No one expects Albania – even before we opened the accession negotiations – to deliver fully on the European Union priorities. We need to see a constant progress. We need to see it is delivering on what we have agreed. The definition of those five key priorities, for the Commission to be in the position to recommend the members states opening the accession negotiations. Then we have a time for the screening of those various areas. This is going to last more than one year. Then we have the time for the accession negotiations, as far as they are opening the chapters of debating. And they will last a couple of years. And it is during this time that we expect Albania to fully deliver in all those areas. It is important to see a goal in the end of the road. You shouldn’t lose the goal of your efforts. On the same time, it is important to focus on the most important step, and it is now to deliver on the five key priorities, to deliver on the reforms and the inclusive way, with the assistance of the Commission and others. It is in your hands. There is no artificial calendar here in this office. There will be no artificial calendar in the office of Johannes Hahn. I promise the only calendar Albania can deliver is on the hands of its politicians and other stage holders.

Interviewed by ARTA TOZAJ / Top Channel

Top Channel