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Interview/ Commissioner Kos: EU financial support to justice bodies and SPAK, we are not satisfied with the departure of the Americans

2025-03-14 19:50:00, Politikë CNA

Interview/ Commissioner Kos: EU financial support to justice bodies and SPAK, we

Shortly before leaving Tirana, Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement at the European Commission, in an interview with journalist Muhamed Veliu, evaluates Albania's steps towards the EU with the opening of several groups of chapters.

"Albania is doing very well," she says.

Tirana also says the commissioner is a beneficiary of the one billion euro fund of the EU Growth Plan and that this money will encourage the implementation of necessary reforms.

She comments on the EU's enlargement to include the Western Balkan countries in the new geopolitical context of the war in Ukraine as a historic development to make Europe stronger. However, according to her, Albania's closing of chapters does not automatically mean full membership in the EU.

Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos says that the European Commission is not satisfied with the withdrawal of some American institutions from funding SPAK, but she guarantees that it will be the European Union that will support SPAK and the new justice institutions with technical and financial assistance in strengthening the capacities and independence of the special prosecution.

The Commission reveals that 270 million euros have just been allocated for the rule of law from the one billion fund included in the growth plan for Albania. The senior European Commission official evaluates the work of SPAK, underlining that this justice institution enjoys the full trust of the EU and that attacks on special prosecutors are being pursued by Brussels.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, thank you very much for this interview on Top Channel, and if I'm not mistaken, it's the first interview you've given since you've been in this position.

Commissioner Marta Kos: Thank you very much! Indeed, it's a first, because I told myself and my team that the first 100 days I want to work, I want to get to know my portfolio, so yes, it's the first time and I'm especially happy that it's happening here in Tirana.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, what is the current feeling among EU countries regarding EU enlargement, considering geopolitical developments with the war in Ukraine, for example, and Russia interfering in the Western Balkans as much as it can?

Commissioner Marta Kos: You are right. Enlargement today is in a completely different environment than it was five years ago. So geopolitics has made us think that when we talk about enlargement, we have to look at the big picture and the big picture is that enlargement is really about bringing Europe together. This means making Europe not just bigger but also stronger and this enlargement is the priority of the current Commission. It is also very much in the Member States' favour, so I think this is a historic opportunity that we should seize. Why is this so important? You know, in the past we have used enlargement to bring in countries that can actually contribute to peace, freedom, prosperity and stability in Europe. My country, Slovenia, joined the EU after the fall of the Berlin Wall or after the end of the Cold War.

At that time it was impossible for all the countries of the former Yugoslavia and it was not possible for Albania either, but now it is. Not only for the countries of the Western Balkans, but you also mentioned Ukraine and Moldova, and I think that this is really what we have today, the historic opportunity to make Europe stronger, to make Europe not only stronger in the sense of having a stronger economy, but also in terms of values ??and democracy.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, how is Albania progressing with preparations to benefit from funds from the EU Growth Plan?

Commissioner Marta Kos: Albania, your country, is doing very well, not only in terms of the Growth Plan. In Brussels, about 1,000 people are working so that your country can become a member of the EU and this is something big, not only in my services, which means that Albania is carrying out our reforms and requirements on its path towards the European Union. And you know that after today I can see that this is not just what the government is doing, but this is a really pro-European orientation that I feel at every step of my visit. I have met with civil society, I have been to the College of Europe, I have met with powerful women from different fields, I have met with representatives of the Albanian judicial system and everyone has told me that EU membership is our priority.

Now, to get back to your question about the Growth Plan. I am a very lucky woman to be here in Tirana, it so happens that your parliament ratified two very important agreements, which will enable me and my team to distribute the pre-financing next week.

So, the whole package is 1 billion Euros and Albania can use this money. You know that 1 billion Euros is a lot, it's 1,000 million, so with this money we will encourage you to do all the necessary reforms and so far, congratulations, Albania is doing very well. When I say so far, it's not the end yet, you know, we have a lot to do, you have to do 20 important reforms this year.

This is about media freedom, it's about women's rights and many other areas of the rule of law, and on the other hand, some good news, you are so good that we will soon be able to open two new group chapters, the second and third, and maybe by the end of next year we will be able to open all the group chapters and starting next year and onwards we will only close them.

Muhamed Veliu: Excellent! We all know that elections are an important feature of democracy in any country. What would you ask the European Commission regarding the electoral campaign and voting day in the parliamentary elections on May 11?

Commissioner Marta Kos: Elections are a very important part of any democracy and I hope that people will first go to vote and express their will on what future they want to see for Albania. So the first step is very important, that as many people as possible go to vote. Then, of course, I hope that all political parties that will take part in the election campaign will give the Albanian people enough information so that they can make informed decisions on election day. You know that this is the only opportunity for citizens to decide on the future. Of course there are other small steps, but this is a big step and I expect the political parties' debate to be good, to include all possible aspects of Albania's future, not only in relation to the EU.

You know that we said that this is actually a celebration of democracy, that elections should celebrate democracy, and I truly have full confidence that Albania will always be on the path towards the EU.

Muhamed Veliu: Can Albania's progress so far in opening the chapters you mentioned with the EU give hope that all chapters will be closed by 2027, as the Albanian government aims and as the Prime Minister emphasized during your meeting today?

Commissioner Marta Kos: This depends a lot on you, on your government, on your parliament. You have achieved a lot so far, so I have no doubt that you will achieve even more, but this is a process, you know. I would like to say: “I promise you”, but I cannot. But I can promise you that I will do everything in my power and I will work day and night so that we can complete the negotiation process. And today, when I spoke to different politicians, with civil society, everyone told me that they will work. Sometimes – from my experience, since I come from Slovenia, and my country became a member of the EU in 2004 – reforms are not easy, you know. Sometimes you turn things completely upside down to start something new. And that is what I like about this negotiation process. In fact, it is a transformative process of the whole society and now the rule of law is becoming more and more important. I heard from one of the partners I spoke to today that this is about changing the mindset about the rule of law, how to fight corruption, how to fight organized crime, so everything has to be done by the end of 2027. When I say that we will complete the negotiations, this does not mean that at this moment Albania will become a member of the EU, because when we complete the negotiations, then the member states of the European Union will decide - and the procedures are different in different countries - they will decide when this will become possible.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, let's dwell for a moment on a very important issue for Albania and Albanian society, the rule of law that you just mentioned. So, how do you see the results of SPAK so far and how worrying are the attacks on this institution and the head of this institution, Mr. Dumani, whom you just met, and the other special prosecutors, for the European Commission?

Commissioner Marta Kos: The justice reform was, in fact, the precondition for us to be able to start negotiations. So, this was a big step forward on your European path, but this is not easy. You mentioned the rule of law. Do you know what the rule of law actually is? The rule of law means that people can trust your system, your laws and whether they are being used in the best possible way for the Albanian people. So, as far as SPAK and other judicial institutions are concerned, I am happy that SPAK has been successful and I really support the independence of SPAK, because you know that the separation of powers in every country is very important. We have the parliament, we have the executive power, so the government, and then we have the independent judiciary. So, it's not just about SPAK that needs to be independent, it's about all justice institutions that need to be independent and work in an environment where people truly believe that Albania has a fair system or justice for all, truly for all.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, are they concerned in Brussels about the various attacks against SPAK and especially against Mr. Dumani?

Commissioner Marta Kos : We are not worried when we follow this issue. So far we have seen that SPAK has functioned well, so it has our trust. It is never… I mentioned it before, that going through reforms or changes is never easy. It is a transformation process and not everyone can be satisfied with what is happening in this transformation process. So, of course we are following it, but we are not worried.

Muhamed Veliu: Commissioner, we are facing a new reality. The US has withdrawn the technical support it provided to SPAK. How will the European Commission continue to support SPAK, especially to preserve the most important thing, its independence?

Commissioner Marta Kos: This is a very important question. The cooperation between the European Union in the negotiation process with Albania is based not only on the fact that Albania must deliver results, but also on the European Union helping.

The same thing has been true for my country, Slovenia, for every other candidate country in the past, and the same thing is true for Albania. We are not happy that some American institutions are withdrawing funding from various institutions, not only SPAK, but also many civil society organizations.

I am happy that through the Growth Plan, two agreements were confirmed in parliament today, we will be able to intervene to some extent.

For example, we have allocated approximately 270 million out of a billion for fundamentals and the rule of law.

So I am not afraid of that. That means… but at the same time, when I talk about the necessary reforms and the support of Albania, it is very important that we challenge you all the time and you challenge us, to move as quickly as possible. When I say that we have to challenge you, I will go back to the time when my country, Slovenia, was in the negotiation process. We said to ourselves, oh God, do we really have to do all this? Yes. This is not only about the fact that Albania is better prepared, but it is also about the fact that our European Union is sure that when you, Albania, becomes a member of the EU, it will be 100% good for the European Union. So, for both sides it is important that the member states are able to embrace Albania and of course that the people in Albania are also satisfied with this, who, as you know, are very much in favor of EU membership.

And if I can add something here, I am very grateful that we can do this interview, because the media can play a really important role. The government cannot reach every village and every citizen of Albania, but with the help of the media we can spread information about the benefits of EU membership.

With the help of EU journalists we can get feedback on what people may not see as working well and we can do it better. So in this respect, free media or freedom of expression is very important and I see the media as an ally in doing this, not only in Albania but also in the member states.

And one of the tasks I have for myself is to conduct a communication campaign in member states where we will talk about why it is a good thing for Albania to become a member of the EU.

Muhamed Veliu: In your opinion, what will the prospect of Albanians joining the EU bring to the EU itself? And finally, what are your impressions of Tirana, of Albania, since it is your first visit as EU Commissioner?

Commissioner Marta Kos: I truly believe that Albania or the Albanian people really want to become part of the European Union. And that is a very good thing.

You have one of the highest percentages of popular will to become a member. This is very important. Every new country brings a lot to the European Union.

So, your population is two and a half million. You are more than my Slovenia, but you will have a voice in the European Union. What you can bring to the European Union is diversity. What you can bring is your beautiful nature. What you can bring is your beautiful culture, your history.

This is something I really like about the European Union. Of course, we don't speak the same language. There are 24 different official languages ??in the EU. And when you become a member, Albanian will also be an official language. So your people will always speak your language.

And then, you know, what I like most is that you are already part of Europe. You just need the official confirmation that you are part of us. And that will come later with EU membership.

And with Albania in the European Union, I'm very sure that this will happen, more people will come to see your country. More businesses will come to invest.

This is always the positive side of enlargement. And of course, I also hope that more Albanians will come to visit my Slovenia, Spain, Belgium and Germany, and so on. We can learn from each other and we can enjoy life together, all being members of the EU. / Interview by Top Channel and journalist Muhamed Veliu