On Friday 19 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn congratulated the political parties for the agreement concluded the previous day, which will mean that all parties will participate in the elections on 25 June. Until now, the opposition intended to boycott the vote.
"The political leaders have responded to their citizens' expectations and showed democratic maturity", Mogherini and Hahn stated in a press release. "This was a crucial first step", they said, adding that this agreement must now be swiftly implemented to prepare elections in line with international standards.
Under American and European mediation, including that of German MEPs David McAllister (EPP) and Knut Fleckenstein (S&D), Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and leader of the main opposition party Lulzim Basha reached an agreement on the holding of the elections. These will take place on 25 June instead of on 18 June. The opposition parties thus have until 26 May to register their candidates. The parties also decided to implement an in-depth vetting process of the election candidates. "As the vote of Parliament for the establishment of the vetting bodies is part of the agreement, we reiterate the importance of a solid and credible implementation of the vetting process, which is key for progress towards EU membership", Mogherini and Hahn stated in their press release. The EU also calls for a vetting process for judges, which is part of the justice reform. The implementation of this reform is one of the criteria for opening Albania's EU accession negotiations. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)