The opening of negotiations may not happen in 2018 either, Juncker didn't even mention Albania”

Prime Minister Edi Rama has expressed indignation for Brussels over the failure to open membership negotiations in the Europina Union. “Locations and conditions are constantly changing. We were told that negotiations would begin when the Constitutional Reform was realised under the Justice Chapter in the negotiations. So, we changed the Constitution, but accession talks have not started”, Rama said in an interview for the German newspaper “Frankfurter Rundschau”.

Then we were told that the law was important for the self-preservation commissions. Then we were told that parliamentary elections were important for us to open negotiations. Now we've done everything, and we'll see what happens. Starting talks could happen next year if the EU Council gives a positive opinion, but it may not happen next year either. The enlargement process has become increasingly unfair, and less predictable for candidate states”, he noted.

Part of the interview:

Rama, in Albania, several self-preservative commissions have been established for reviewing the position of those judges and prosecutors who are corrupt or who have abused the task. What do you expect from this process?

This process is crucial to a new architecture of the justice system, which we have changed through deep reforms. We have figuratively a new Palace of Justice. And these checks, they'll make sure the residents of this Justice Palace are scanned, and some of them will no longer be able to enter there. Soon we will see tangible results.

How deep is corruption in the Albanian judicial system?

A considerable portion of people will surely be disfellowshipped. The actual process leaves no room for salvation, or for access to the system.

Reform in the judiciary also relates to starting negotiations with Brussels for EU accession. When can they begin?

This has never been known to us by the EU, as positions and conditions constantly change. We were told that negotiations would begin when the Constitutional Reform was realised under the Justice Chapter in the negotiations. So we changed the Constitution, but the accession talks haven't begun. Then we were told that the law was important for the self-preservation commissions. Then we were told that parliamentary elections were important for us to open negotiations. Now we've done everything, and we'll see what happens. Starting talks could happen next year if the EU Council gives a positive opinion, but it may not happen next year either. The enlargement process has become increasingly unfair, and less predictable for candidate states. And this is not a problem for Albania, it concerns Europe itself.

The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, spoke in his speech “the situation of the Union” on the prospect of enlargement. However, in his letter to the president of the Council, he mentioned only Serbia and Montenegro for the possibility of membership in 2025, while Albania didn't even mention it...

Do you expect a change of course in the enlargement strategy?

I don't expect anything like that. The problem is not what Europe says, but what it does. In our case it is completely unfair, because we are a NATO member state. Montenegro has joined the alliance much later. Moreover, we are much ahead of Montenegro in the crucial chapters dealing with the judiciary. Serbia should also continue to carry out these reforms.

We already have. It's a fantastic negotiation thing. But it's just unfair that we're not negotiating. I do not understand this incredible fear of European leaders, when they constantly link the start of accession negotiations in the union with elections in their countries or public opinion rebellion. This is crazy. It would still be understandable that membership itself is somewhat delayed. But this has to do with negotiations. And negotiations, they're something that only helps us on our journey.

Do you think that EU countries want to slow down the enlargement process?

This isn't about what I think. This is tangible, visible, and clear. Sometimes I wonder if these European leaders really thought about what they're doing. Or maybe it's about the fact that it's on their agenda, and that's why they only hear their administrations or advisers. The issue is politically very clear. They might say we are negotiating with the six states in the Balkans, that the talks will be very difficult, and that there will be membership if the countries are not ready. But it is absurd to say: You're a candidate for joining us, but we don't negotiate with you. That's like saying: We want to get married, but we can't talk about marriage.