EC: Corruption in Albania, a serious problem

2024-10-31 16:30:00, Aktualitet CNA

Albania has made some progress in the fight against corruption and this is thanks to the work of the Special Prosecutor's Office, while there is no improvement in the freedom of the media.

This is what the ambassador of the European Union delegation in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, said, who handed over the Progress Report drawn up by the European Commission to the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

Gonzato said that the EC sees Albania's commitment to European integration as a key strategic priority. Also, according to him, the EC values ??full harmonization with the EU's foreign policies.

He said that if the pace of reforms is accelerated, Albania can succeed in opening all group-chapters by the end of 2025.

Albania opened the first chapter of negotiations for membership with the European Union on October 15.

After listing the areas where Albania has made progress, the ambassador focused on issues that are viewed with concern by the European Commission.

"As for the political criterion, it is estimated that the functioning of the democratic institutions is partially satisfactory, mainly due to the deeply polarized political situation that negatively affects the ability of the Parliament to play its role and is also resulting in delays in appointing individuals in key positions," said Gonzato.

He described as urgent the need to rebuild a constructive and comprehensive political dialogue, assessing it as essential for the possibility of implementing reforms related to the EU.

Corruption remains a serious concern, the progress that has been made is estimated to be thanks to the work of SPAK, while there is concern about the politics that tries to intervene.

"Corruption remains a serious concern. The report notes some progress in the fight against corruption, and this is due to the excellent work of SPAK, which has continued to produce concrete results, including in cases against politicians and high-level officials. Even in the fight against organized crime, the EC sees some progress, but this is also thanks to the work of SPAK. Concerns remain regarding attempts to intervene and political pressure in the judicial system", said the EU ambassador. Gonzatoi expressed regret that there is no improvement for freedom of expression.

"Unfortunately, there is no progress in terms of freedom of expression, especially for issues related to the establishment of business, media, and political interests in this regard, and the problematic working conditions of journalists," the EU ambassador emphasized. in Tirana.

While the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama, described the Progress Report as real and balanced. He said that all the efforts that Albania has made to achieve progress on the road to the EU have been appreciated and also clearly shows the issues that should be focused on for improvement.

Rama focused more on the noted achievements, such as the evaluation for economic growth, the digitalization process, reforms in the energy field, as well as the maximum evaluation for foreign policy.

"From year to year we get good grades, but we are very aware that we still have a lot of work to do for the maximum grade," said Rama.

Asked about the latest political developments related to the opposition action, Rama said that the Albanian Government is open to discussions, while the EU ambassador said that he hopes to find a way to re-engage the opposition, but this requires the commitment of both parties. / Voa