Professor Enver Bytyçi has accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of presenting the mention of an “Accession Treaty” in the European Commission’s latest report as a government success, while, according to Bytyçi, Albania has lost ground in the integration process.
In a post, Bytyçi says Rama devoted considerable time to the issue during the Socialist Party Assembly. He notes that the phrase appeared for the first time in a European Commission report but disputes the prime minister’s portrayal of it as a success story.
Të lidhura
None found
The professor criticizes Rama for showing neither modesty nor remorse over what Bytyçi describes as 13 years of obstruction of Albania’s EU integration. Instead, he says, the prime minister has focused on integrating Albania with Serbia.
Bytyçi also questions the significance Rama attached to the wording written by Marta Kos. According to the professor, the prime minister’s self-congratulation over the phrase gives the impression that considerable lobbying went into getting “Accession Treaty” included in Kos’s report.
He says, however, that the mention has not improved Albania’s position. Bytyçi claims that the European Council halted Albania’s progress at the same time as Montenegro’s, whereas Albania is now on the agenda alongside Moldova and Ukraine. According to him, a year ago Albania was paired with Montenegro, but now it is “one km further away.”
In conclusion, the professor warns that if Rama continues to lead the government, Albania could lose further ground to countries in the region. He calls the prime minister a lobbyist for his own prestige and says that, if Rama is not ousted, Albania could end up in line with Serbia and North Macedonia, and later with Kosovo and BH.
