Integration, Mcllwham: A national matter

Speaking in Albanian, Fiona Mcllwham underlined that the media plays a decisive role not only in reporting, but also in shaping the development policies in Europe.

According to her, Albania’s integration process and the debate that surrounds it deserve and require the full commitment of the media, so that it can have success.

“Albania’s progress, as we know, is not continuing calmly and quick. Albania has received two ‘no-s’ for the candidate status. Serbia, although it had a lower enthusiasm among the population, according to the polls, is achieving results and has progressed. The media has a decisive role for underlining and narrowing this gap down. It is vital for the media to not report only the titles of the decisions, or to repeat and apply political reactions, but to analyze, explain and to inform. The European Integration is a national project. It cannot be half-made or only for receiving votes”, the Ambassador declared.

Analyst Lutfi Dervishi underlined that this is the time for the media not only to report, but to open a debate and ask questions to the people who are accounted for. But there were also critics for the media reports.

“The equalization of the visa integration process is something that doesn’t honor the media. The integration has not been understood as a long and difficult road that requires deep economic, political and social reforms; a process that will change your country once and for all. It has not been understood that it is a process that starts in Tirana and ends in Brussels, and not the vice-versa. The debate is not to integrate because we will receive development, but to develop in order to integrate”, Dervishi declared.

Remzi Lani considered the journalists as the most sincere actors in this process. In this meeting was also underlined the fact that the time that the integration process will take is depended by Tirana, not Brussels.

Top Channel