“Status? It is up to the governmen”

In an interview for Top Channel, the Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Balkan says that our country risks losing other important chances by not concluding the important reforms, such as the electoral and the parliamentary reforms.

Top Channel: Mr.Kukan, you considered the way how the President was elected a lost chance. Why did this disappoint you and what were you expecting.

One thing I want to specify. It was a lost chance for the political class in Albania, for all of them. I know and I want to put it clearly that the election of the President was in accordance with the Constitution. But it is not good enough for me. I expected the political parties to show much more involvement in the political dialogue, which should have led in the election of the president. That’s why I say that it is a lost chance, because for some time we were getting news from Tirana that the dialogue is on, that some committees were created and were giving some results, as a follow up of this new positive political situation, so I expected that the election of the president would be the ideal chance to show it. In that sense, I was disappointed.

Top Channel: Now we have as President the former Interior Minister of the government. Is this the right way?

Maybe I will answer to that question from two angles. Concerning the person himself, I think that he is an able politician. I have met him, I have had a long discussion with him and I have respect for him. I am separating the process of the election and the candidate himself. The process should have been much more transparent, with more consultations. Given the situation in which Albania is for an unnecessary long time, I would have expected much more political maturity and responsibility.

Top Channel: Now that the majority of Prime Minister Berisha took all powers, do you believe that the reforms of the country will be realized fast?

Well, I said in my statement after the elections, that if there is not a change in this political philosophy, I am concerned that Albania may lose more opportunities in the future, and that would be simply too bad. I will be very blunt. We here are fed up reading the accusations one against each other. It cannot go on like that, if Albania wants to achieve some progress. Time is flying fast. November is not so far away, when we shall have a new progress report for the commission. Where are the results? I know that there are some movements. I read carefully how many of the criteria are fulfilled, that are fulfilled partially or that are in progress. Those 12 priorities are on the table for a long time. I would expect more results. There is not so much time before the progress report. Than the question will if there will be EU candidate status or not. So, I am not avoiding your question. I have repeated each time that political dialogue is needed for finding the compromise that will push the country forward, and we need proves and results. I’ve been repeating this for a couple of months. This is what we are still waiting and this is what is not coming, the electoral reform. You almost got the agreement, but it was not agreed. Commissioner Fule gave you the 24th of May as deadline. It was missed. Things are moving, we are praising, but we need results. And in that sense, there should be really more political responsibility and pressure from inside Albania, pressure from the people, because they deserve much better. I am really your friend and sometimes I am impatient and critical, because I want to see that the country is moving, because as it is now, I am concerned.

Top Channel: You still avoided my question. Placing the government and the opposition on the same level of blame, is one thing, but with the historical of this government in these seven years, now that PM Berisha has all powers in his hand, do you believe that we will have a really independent prosecution and judicial system?

It will depend on the behavior of the government, if they are willing. I don’t think they will succeed if there is zero result. They will succeed to put all the blame on the opposition. It will depend on how they will really behave, because nothing will be accepted rather than proves that things are moving.

Top Channel: Mr. Kukan, since you mentioned November, the report will be published on October. We have one month less. When you speak about reforms, the most important is the electoral one. With the history of the Albanian elections, and since many deadlines have been missed without concluding the key criteria, are we going towards another failure with the electoral reform?

I am a born optimist, although it is getting more and more difficult to be optimistic with Albania. But I still believe that the politicians are the people who serve their country otherwise they should not be involved in politics. Yes, the electoral reform is very important and without achieving it, you put it right that many things have been done, but not completely. It’s not over until it is over. If the agreement is agreed at 95%, it is not an agreement. That’s what we need, the end of these negotiations and the agreement for Albania. So, we are following everything very closely, but after this kind of presidential elections, we are seeing how the new things will come or not come, how the reforms are going to be implemented, because there are many of them and your people know very-very well what is expected from them, so I can only say that we are waiting for the delivery of these reforms, because without it, it will be really difficult. It is in the interest of the country… you were right, after each election in Albania, there are problems. It is necessary to stop this kind of practice, but it can be stopped only when real transparent democratic agreement rules are agreed before the elections, so that nobody can complain afterwards. Let’s wait for the next time when we will meet, in October. I know that the Commissioner Fule and partners of the Parliament will still give a chance to Albania, but they will be more demanding, more attentive after these elections. There is still some time, but if you lose it, you will lose it very badly and for a long time.

Top Channel: Mr. Kukan, if we count the chances that have been given to Albania since the times of the “Crocodile” meetings, by the European Parliament itself, the travels of the General Director, Mr. Sannino, the countless letters of Mr. Fule… the lost chances are much more than the remaining ones.

 Yes, but even looking at that sad picture, I would say that people in the European institutions are very patients and will still give you a chance and opportunity. Albania cannot say that the European institutions didn’t care or were not helping, so that responsibility is in the side of Albania, and the balance is not at all favorable for Albania, but there is chance.

Prepared by: Ernest Bunguri

Top Channel