When talking about Albania's success on the path to the European Union, two main pillars are mentioned: internal reforms that have transformed the justice system, and foreign diplomacy that has brought the country closer to the decision-making centers of Europe.

Five years since the European Commission's decision to launch accession talks with Albania, and just one year since they began in practice, the country has opened 28 chapters - four this month alone - out of 35 in total.

This progress has sparked optimism in Brussels, where officials believe Albania can open the remaining chapters by the end of the year.

"Albania has shown that positive change is possible and the EU rewards this positive change. Keep up the pace."

This impetus was given by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, on September 16 in Brussels.

Albania, at an increasingly steady pace, began to move since the early 90s, when the communist dictatorship that had kept the country hermetically isolated for 45 years collapsed amid popular pressure for change.

Democracy was the great dream of Albanians at that time, but reality also brought confrontation with deep economic and social insecurities.

In the mid-90s, the country experienced one of the most severe crises in modern history: the collapse of pyramid schemes, which led to revolt and chaos in 1997.

The anarchy that followed - with army depots opened and weapons in the hands of civilians - called into question the very survival of the state. Over 2.000 people lost their lives, thousands more emigrated.

But even in these circumstances, Albania remained oriented towards the West. Initially, international aid and peacekeeping missions helped stabilize.

The country then began to build new institutions and move closer to NATO and the European Union. In 2009, Albania became a member of the largest Western military alliance, and five years later, the EU granted it candidate country status.

Klodiana Beshku, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Tirana, says that the slogan of the protests of the 90s "We love Albania like all of Europe" was not simply a call of the time, but became a guide for Albanian society throughout the journey towards European integration, being reflected in culture and art, and later in the country's foreign policy.

"European integration was the genesis and objective of every Albanian government and, above all, of the current government of Prime Minister Rama. For the sake of truth, Rama is extremely dedicated to this issue," Beshku tells Radio Free Europe's Expose program.

“Albania 2030 in the EU” was the slogan of Rama’s party in the May 11 parliamentary elections, which he won convincingly. After the confirmation of the new government on September 18 in the Assembly, Rama declared that this slogan would remain the motto of his new mandate - his fourth in a row.

"European Albania is the guiding compass of every page of our program and the metronome of the rhythm of every reform we will undertake," said Rama.

Beshku says that reforms undertaken over the years, especially in the judiciary, which led to the vetting of judges and prosecutors, as well as arrests in high-level corruption cases, redefined Albania's international position.

"It has brought about the decline of the culture of impunity at high levels as a novelty. This has radically changed the perception of individuals towards the state, but also the perception towards Albania abroad," according to her.

Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor at Radio Free Europe, who has been following EU policies for years, agrees. He says European leaders are impressed not only by Albania's deep reforms and fulfillment of EU requirements, but also by the image Rama has built in Brussels.

According to Jozwiak, Rama always displays a "can-do" mentality, which clearly distinguishes him from others.

"Edi Rama is very well-liked in Brussels. I would even say that he is loved by the majority - either because of his charisma or because of his positivity. His entire public presence is in stark contrast to many other leaders, especially from the Western Balkans, who come to Brussels and complain about this, that, and each other," says Jozwiak.

Albania stands out in terms of pace among the nine EU candidate countries. According to Jozwiak, it is "the only student with an A+ grade," followed by Montenegro; the others are moving more slowly or have remained in the red.

Jozwiak says that the transformation into a tourist destination has also improved public perception, leaving behind the former image of a lawless or mafia-linked Albania.

Moreover, it has also gained fame as a host of major international events: in May it hosted the European Political Community summit with over 50 European leaders, in February 2024 it organized a summit on Ukraine with the participation of President Volodymyr Zelensky, while in 2027, Rama has said that he will host the NATO leaders' summit in Tirana.

It's not for nothing, says Jozwiak, that in Brussels they affectionately call him "Uncle Edi from Tirana."

"He brings fewer problems to the table and this attracts everyone's sympathy, even the Dutch, who are usually critical, but who now say that Albania deserves it, it should move forward," says Jozwiak.

Even former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed Rama as "Edi" during his visit to Tirana last year, particularly praising his progress in justice reform.

However, not everything is rosy. In the most recent State Department report, under Blinken, Albania was described as a country where “corruption exists at all branches and levels of government.”

According to data from the Institute of Statistics of Albania, more than a third of the former population of 3.3 million has left the country since 1991. Average monthly salaries are equivalent to around 750 euros and almost a third of the young people still in the country are unemployed.

Rama is also constantly accused by the Albanian opposition of having contacts with organized crime - something he denies.

Criticism also comes from Western media. In an article last year, Der Spiegel wrote that Rama - despite corruption in Albania - is liked in Europe because he helps it manage the refugee crisis.

The day after the May 11 elections, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung wrote that "Rama has built a power apparatus, as many countries in the region know: He is the head of a party that controls the administration, the courts and many media outlets."

In this year's report, Reporters Without Borders assessed that the Albanian media is affected by conflicts of interest. However, Albania managed to climb to 80th position, from 99th in 2024.

To maintain its momentum, James Ker-Lindsay, a professor at the London School of Economics, says Albania must continue to implement domestic reforms, even when they are challenging, and uphold democratic principles, such as free elections and independent media.

"Joining the EU is not just about adapting rules on food safety or financial systems. It is equally important to have a functioning market economy and a functioning democracy," Ker-Lindsay tells Expose.

Jozwiak also believes that Albania's progress towards the EU is promising but fragile, and says its sustainability will depend on sincere reforms, political unity and careful management of bilateral relations.

According to him, the EU urgently wants an expansion, as it has not expanded since 2013 with Croatia, and it needs a success.

"I think Albania and Montenegro will join this decade. At least these two countries will join, almost regardless of what they do," says Jozwiak.

Observers underline that other countries can learn from Albania's experience, that EU integration requires deep reforms and their implementation, constructive cooperation with European institutions and a real willingness to adapt to European standards.

Kosovo, as the only Western Balkan country without candidate status, may perhaps feel pressure from this success of Albania to pave its way - by first resuming the stalled dialogue with Serbia.

“You have to show Europe that you are willing to cooperate. In the case of Kosovo, this is an extremely important message, especially now, when relations between [Kosovo's acting prime minister, Albin] Kurti, and the EU are at such a low point,” says Ker-Lindsay.

In a Europe troubled by security challenges, the countries of the Western Balkans have a chance to show their maturity and prove that they can play the big game… without ruining everything along the way. Albania, according to observers, is proof that this path is possible. /REL/

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