Denada Jushi
For the past 12 months, every political rhetoric in Albania has been linked to the path towards European integration, promising that by 2030 Albania will finally be part of the Union. But this journey has stalled for months, while Albania's fellow traveler, Montenegro, is heading towards the final stage to successfully conclude this process.
The European Union decided yesterday to start drafting the accession treaty for Montenegro, bringing the process to a concrete stage, while Albania remains at a much earlier stage of negotiations. Two countries in the same region, with the same European aspirations, but with completely different integration rates.
The EU's latest decision on Montenegro is not just a technical step, but represents a political moment, recognition of the progress achieved and a signal that membership is no longer a distant prospect, but a process in the making. As Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos stressed, this is "a major step" and an incentive to accelerate reforms. In the same vein, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, congratulated the country on its progress.
But this advancement has not come by chance. According to the official report of the European Commission, “Montenegro Report 2025”, Montenegro is considered the most advanced country in the Western Balkans in terms of European integration. It has opened almost all negotiation chapters and has managed to close some of them, now entering the phase where there is talk of an accession treaty.
However, even for Montenegro, the road is not over. The report highlights that challenges remain, such as corruption, the independence of the judiciary and the functioning of the rule of law. Chapters 23 and 24, relating to justice and fundamental rights, will be the most crucial.
On the other side stands Albania. Although it has passed a series of important milestones, from the Stabilization and Association Agreement in 2006, to the status of candidate country in 2014 and the opening of negotiations in 2022, the process remains in its initial stages. Chapters that should have been opened 6 months ago have been stalled, since the Belinda Balluku file and her confrontation with justice.
The government decided not to lift his immunity, and the EU has considered this an obstacle to justice-related reforms.
Is politics influencing this journey?
In the case of Montenegro, despite political crises, there has been a more stable continuity in the pro-European orientation and in the fulfillment of the EU's technical conditions. While in Albania, the process has been characterized by interruptions, delays and a slower pace of reform implementation, where party interests have prevailed over the country's interests in integration.
The justice reform, adopted in 2016, was considered a turning point for Albania. But today, after several years, it is facing "dislike" and political obstruction. This is precisely one of the main reasons for the halt.
In this context, the EU's decision to start drafting the treaty with Montenegro creates a contrast between two countries: on the one hand, a country entering the final phase of integration; on the other, a country still struggling to meet basic conditions.
One of the milestones that should have been reached for Albania was IBAR, where the completion of reforms would begin, but since February this has not been achieved. Therefore, Albania is "stuck" on this journey.
Because the political class has chosen to put personal political interests ahead of advancing towards the EU.acqj.al
