German MP: Power struggle under way in Albania

Mr. Sarrazin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reported to the EU's Commission for EU Affairs and, according to a tip in Sueddeutsche Zeitung, she said the decision to launch negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania would be postponed for September/October. How did the Chancellor argue this delay?

Manuel Sarrazin: She simply said this by informing her of the timetable and said she believes the vote will take place in September/October, because there is still a need to co-ordinate within her parliamentary group. But she did not speak positively or negatively herself and said what the result of this voting process would be.

It was those days that the newspaper “Bild” published audio hearings on vote trading in the 2017 elections, do you think this publication will negatively affect the decision to start negotiations?

No, I don't think you play any part in informed deputies. These records are not new. This debate has long emerged in Albania's internal policy picture. Of course, these charges had reached us. But I've already been unable to verify, whether they match reality. Besides, I think the report in the paper “Bold” does not give the impression that it was taken properly with data verification. I was also very surprised why at the very moment the decisions will be made in the federal government and in the German parliament, the newspaper “Bild” goes and publishes this unilateral reporting. And that leaves the impression that there was a political position.

That question is also raised in Albania, but no one suspects that wiretapping is true because they come from the prosecution.

The question here is how much of a sense is the context in which they are put. I don't see the point. But of course, we take the accusations seriously and we agree that questions about whether there were vote purchases should be clarified, and we tell our partners in the Albanian government. But the conclusion in which the Albanian opposition reaches, in my opinion, is not so undisputed, at least, has not yet been tried. But it's not my duty as German Federal Parliament deputy to prove it. This is the task of Albanian organs.

But Albanian bodies, therefore, the prosecution has been aware of these audio hearings for two years, and very recently reacted, and yet it is working too slow. Even Albania's Interior Minister said in an interview with DW that he has no influence over the prosecution. So, what do you do when the prosecution delays the investigation?

As German deputy I can't say more than that. As you know, we within the EU integration process also present our requests to the Albanian government towards functioning of the judiciary, organising the prosecution, building special anticorruption units, but I as deputy cannot give instructions to Albania's prosecution. We certainly want Albanian organs to continue to clear up the case and take this seriously. If it turns out there's been a vote deal, then we have to be held responsible. But I want to say something else that the voting trade issue is not only an Albanian phenomenon, it is observed throughout the Western Balkans. I have no idea that the sale of votes has been done to the extent that the majority-minority reports on Albania's Parliament have influenced. So, I don't believe it justifies boycotting parliament or questioning the legitimacy of the Albanian parliament. Of course, accusations should be taken seriously and made white.

The mayor of Durres didn't hide it because he had contact with these people. Does it seem normal to you, as a politician, to have contact with citizens associated with organized crime?

I didn't hear that. But Durres is a port city, and has a unique position. I come from a port city too. As mayor of Hamburg I wouldn't call contact with members of organised crime normal. But I cannot give a final judgment on the circumstances in which local politics are made in Albania. I myself have no contact with organized crime and I try not to have any contact with people who have proved to be connected to crime.

Albania is now going to local elections without opposition participation. Does this fact negatively affect the decision of MPs?

It is always bad for democracy in a country when the opposition and the government disagree on the fundamentals and when the opposition boycotts the elections. But I do not believe the opposition charges justify boycotting parliament and not participating in elections. My impression is that there is a strong power struggle going on between Rama and Basha, and this war in this situation is not at all favorable for the decision that MPs in Bundestag must make. But, however, parliamentary groups in the Green, Social Democrats, Liberals and Left are for opening negotiations, regardless of who will win the battle for power, Mr Rama or Mr. Basha. We think Albania has met the conditions.