Albania
European Integration
Takes More Than Attitude
Tirana - Albanians are among the most Euroenthusiastic
people in the Western Balkans,
surveys show. But that does not mean they believe
they will join the EU in a hurry. As many as
93.8 percent want to join the European family,
according to a study 'Rethinking EU Integration:
Albanian realities and perceptions 2007' by the
Albanian Institute for International Studies
(AIIS). The AIIS has been gauging perceptions
about the EU and the integration process for the
last five years, and has found approval rates for
Albania's entry to the EU always above 80 percent.
The enthusiasm is fed in part by the growing
number of European visitors who have been
coming to Albania as it puts infrastructure and
environment improvements in place to bring
itself up to EU standards.
Opening of markets
In 2005, the approval was 83.9 percent. In 2006
it jumped to 92.5 percent, following the signing of
a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with
the EU in July 2005. Such an agreement is a first
step towards eventual membership. "One of the
most important conclusions of our study is that
Albanians see the EU as their country's most strategic
partner," AIIS executive director Albert Rakipi
told IPS. The AIIS study found internal nuances of
attitude among the polled people. The business
category seems to be more skeptical, and is concerned
about the economic costs of accession and the
opening of markets. But even so, the vast majority
of businesses are positive about EU accession.
But though Albanians want to join the EU,
their expectations are different. "One of the main
findings of the survey is that despite the extremely
high level of support for integration, Albanians
have no illusions as to their country's readiness to
enter the EU," Maklen Misha, director of research
at AIIS told IPS. As many as 82.8 percent of the
people polled said Albania is not ready to join the
EU. The majority of Albanians place their accession
date no earlier than 2020. This reflects the
pessimism expressed by every visiting EU representative.
culture and youth Jan Figel told the media on a
visit to Tirana last month that Albania has made
progress on its road to the EU, but that much
remains to be done. "It is up to Albania to do its
fundamental homework as it is your own country,
and we can only support you all the way," Figel
said.
Aspirations for the EU have in the past been
controversial. One of the most powerful slogans
raised by Albanian protesters who challenged the
communist regime in 1991 was, "We want Albania
to be like Europe!" Significant reforms are necessary
before Albania can hope for EU membership.
The government is trying to come to terms with a
range of political and economic problems that
impede the integration process, among them
widespread corruption and an energy crisis.
" Albanians and people in the Balkans generally
will benefit largely after integration, in terms of
democratic stability, economic modernisation and
social welfare," Xavier Vidal-Folch, deputy editor
of 'El Pais' told Albanian journalists at a training
session in September.
Ticket to free movement
" On the other side, they will have to sacrifice
time and effort to convince the existing members
of the added value. This should be done by the
aspiring countries' political class, intellectual
elite and journalists." But the move to the EU
gets more difficult with time. "The larger the EU
gets, the harder it is going to be to make it larger.
Members will seek guarantees that expansion
will be for the better of the Union," Vidal-
Folch told IPS. For most Albanians, entry in the
EU means a ticket to free movement. But a first
step has been taken with the signing of the visa
facilitation and readmission agreements in
Brussels Sep. 18. Meanwhile, Albanians remain
keen on something they do not believe will happen
in a hurry. (Reported in November 2007)