The Greek Prime Minister repeated his threat to block Albania’s European integration path in a declaration that followed the release from prison of Fredi Beleri, a representative of the Greek minority and opposition candidate who won the 2023 elections in Himare but was arrested for alleged vote-buying. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has now set as a prerequisite for Greece not to block Albania’s European path the solution of the claimed issue of property rights of the Greek minority.

Why is this significant

The declaration underscores ongoing tensions between the two countries over Himara that could affect Albania’s aspirations for EU membership. This pattern of EU member states using their ability to obstruct the EU integration process to blackmail candidate countries into making concession on bilateral issues has become a serious problem in the Western Balkans at a time of growing instability and interference by third parties, such as Russia and others.

Context

The statement was given during an international fair in Thessaloniki, which was attended by Beleri himself. When asked about relations with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Mitsotakis expressed a desire to maintain the best possible relations with all neighbors, including Albania. He described the incident with Beleri as an “utterly unjust and unnecessary adventure” that has finally concluded. However, Mitsotakis emphasized that respecting the property rights of the Greek national minority in Albania is essential for Albania’s European journey. 

The actions of Greece have been deemed unacceptable by European Union leaders. The EU has criticized the use of blocking mechanisms by member states to hinder neighboring countries on their integration path for issues unrelated to the process itself, a concern reiterated in previous situations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. In February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a more efficient EU enlargement process, which included removing the ability of member states to veto.

Nevertheless, the Albanian government remains cautiously optimistic that it will hold the second intergovernmental Albania-EU conference this autumn. Foreign Minister Igli Hasani reported last week that communications with Greece have been intensive and conducted out of the public eye.