Albanian PM confident country will join EU by 2030 despite opposition criticism

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is convinced that Albania will become a member of the European Union before 2030. In an interview following the Second Intergovernmental Conference between Albania and the EU, Rama stated that despite the ambitious appearance of this goal, it is achievable. He emphasized that his government has a comprehensive and agreed-upon plan with the European Commission, positioning Albania to meet the necessary criteria for EU membership.

Why is it important: Albania has held EU candidate status for over a decade. Internal challenges within the country, as well as issues within the EU itself, have delayed the accession process for Albania, which is widely regarded as one of the most pro-European countries in the region. Securing EU membership would not only enhance Albania’s political standing but also reinforce legal reforms, democratic principles, and economic growth.

Context: Prime Minister Rama is not only optimistic about Albania’s future in the European Union but also confident that his Socialist Party will secure a fourth consecutive term in the May 2025 elections. According to Rama, his party will complete all the required criteria for Albania’s EU accession by the end of this mandate. He acknowledged the difficulties ahead, describing the process as a “mountain to climb,” but reiterated his belief that Albania would reach the summit and achieve full EU membership by 2030.

• Edi Rama:
  “Of course, this is a road full of obstacles. The first obstacles are the ones we need to overcome ourselves because it is a whole mountain to climb in order to reach that peak where I insist Albania will stand in 2030. This is not about bringing Europe here, but about building Europe there and turning Albania into a country that functions as an EU member—with individual freedoms, rule of law, and a functional democracy.”

Opposition view: The opposition, however, holds a different opinion. Democratic Party leaders argue that it will be their party, not Rama’s, that will lead Albania into the European Union. They claim that Rama’s government has been a key obstacle to progress, especially in implementing judicial reforms. Despite this, in an interview with the Albanian Public Television, Rama dismissed the opposition’s criticism, insisting that they cannot block the country’s EU path as they have tried by opposing the new justice reforms. He assured that his government’s anti-corruption fight would continue, regardless of opposition resistance.

• Edi Rama:
  “As far as the opposition is concerned, I have nothing more to say. We cannot stop, slow down, or interfere with the irreversible process of establishing justice through an independent justice system. Naturally, the removal of political influence from justice has caused discomfort, created situations that we are not used to, and justice has hit both the left and the right. It has hit the left more than the right if we look at it quantitatively, but this is what we asked for, this is what we fought for. And anyone who refuses to accept the decisions of justice is destined to bang their head against a wall, and in the end, it will be the head, not the wall, that gives way.”