The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and the Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, on Thursday 21 February, urged the Albanian government and opposition to engage in "constructive discussions to overcome the current political situation".
Several thousand people demonstrated again on Thursday 21 February to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing him of "collusion with organised crime" and of having "plunged the country into corruption and poverty". On Saturday 16th, a first rally was marred by incidents.
While reaffirming "the right of citizens to engage in peaceful demonstrations as an essential feature and a core value of democracy", Ms Mogherini and Mr Hahn, in a joint statement, strongly denounced "any rhetoric by political leaders calling for violence".
EU representatives also criticised the decision taken on Monday 18 February by members of the Democratic Party (centre-right) and the Socialist Movement for Integration (centre-left) to relinquish their mandate, as they said that this "seriously hinders the functioning of democracy in Albania". "Parliament is the place where reforms and relevant developments should be discussed and taken forward, not boycotted", recalled Ms Mogherini and Mr Hahn.
"The European Union expects all Members of the Albanian Parliament to defend the ideals and principles of democracy, to continue serving in the Parliament, and to take any necessary measure to avoid violent acts and incendiary statements", they warned. In their view, all these acts and decisions are "counterproductive", go against the democratic choice of Albanian citizens and undermine the progress the country has made on the European Union path.
The Council is due to decide in June whether or not to open negotiations on Albania's accession to the EU. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)