Day: October 7, 2022

Albania celebrated a historic moment after almost three decades: in 2003, Tirana submitted its application for membership. In the days following the announcement, a larger-than-life EU flag adorned the government building in Tirana’s Skënderberg Square. EU affinity is high in the country with 2.8 million inhabitants. According to the Balkan Public Barometer, 89 percent of Albanians evaluate EU membership as positive. In conversations with locals, proximity to the…

 The Western Balkans are also strategically important for the EU, as they form the land bridge between NATO’s southeastern flank and Central Europe. However, it is becoming clear that, regardless of the current moment, there are still a number of challenges standing in the way of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. This is evident in Albania.  Albania celebrated a historic moment after almost three decades: in…

In recent years, a reform in justice and the introduction of the so-called Special Structure against Corruption – SPAK as a special independent prosecutor, has advanced efforts in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. “We have made extraordinary progress in the field of the rule of law and in the fight against corruption,” said Christiane Hohmann, the ambassador of the EU delegation in…