Brussels, 29/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU is stepping up pressure on the Albanian government and opposition to put an end to the political crisis that has lasted since the June 2009 elections. It calls on them to begin the reforms so cruelly needed by the country to be able to move forward along the road towards European integration. Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle will be in Tirana on Wednesday 30 March for talks with Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the opposition leader, Edi Rama, and President Bamir Topi. In its annual report 2010, the European Commission had concluded that Albania does not yet have the political and democratic maturity it takes to be recognised as a candidate country for EU membership. On the other hand, the report identified 12 priority reforms that must be carried out before the country can hope for a positive Commission recommendation on candidate status. “The commissioner will insist in Tirana on the importance and urgency of addressing the 12 priorities. This is not possible without constructive dialogue”, Stefan Füle's spokesman said on Tuesday 29 March when speaking to the press in Brussels. Füle will be attending a seminar organised in Tirana by the Commission to help the Albanian authorities implement the reforms required. Brussels insists that, although the EU is willing to provide assistance, the main effort should come from Tirana. Like all Balkan states, Albania enjoys the prospect of one day joining the EU “but it cannot fulfil this if it does not do its homework. Nobody can do that work outside Albania”, Füle's spokesman said.
Local elections on 8 May will be a “test”. Local elections scheduled for 8 May this year will be a “test case” for Albania's political and democratic maturity, a senior European official responsible for relations with the Balkan countries underlined on Tuesday 29 March. The EU wants elections to be “free and fair” and as close as possible to EU criteria and international election standards, he said. After the controversial legislative elections in June 2009 (the results of which are still challenged by the Socialist opposition), the OSCE had set out several dozen recommendations to improve electoral legislation but, to date, “no serious effort” has been made by the officials in that country to implement those recommendations, the official said. Under pressure from the EU, the Albanian government and opposition finally agreed to gather round a table to talk of organising elections and of very tricky issues such as the establishment of electoral lists, the procedure for counting votes, etc. “We hope it is a beginning” for wider reform of the electoral legislation, the official commented, adding that it is not long before 8 May and that there is little hope a consensus will be reached by then. (H.B./transl.jl)