Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha has called on the European Union to honor its commitments in Albania’s integration process, presenting enlargement as a relationship that cannot rest solely on the obligations of candidate countries. At the same time, he acknowledged that the country still faces familiar problems in corruption, the functioning of justice, media freedom and environmental protection.
Hoxha’s position on the pace of negotiations
In an interview with RTL Today, Hoxha said the credibility of the EU enlargement process depends not only on the reforms carried out by candidate countries, but also on the union’s willingness to keep its own promises.
According to the minister’s account, Albania has moved at a fast pace in accession negotiations, opening all six cluster chapters within 13 months and passing the interim assessment for the “Fundamentals” cluster.
Acknowledgment of problems that remain unresolved
Despite the optimistic tone on the progress of negotiations, Hoxha acknowledged that Albania still has a long way to go in several key areas that have for years been at the center of public and international criticism.
He mentioned the fight against corruption, the functioning of justice, media freedom and environmental protection as areas where the country cannot claim to have settled the matter. These also remain the most sensitive tests for any official balance sheet on “reforms.”
A “merit-based process” for Brussels too
Hoxha said the process should remain merit-based, but not only for aspiring countries. According to him, the same standard should also apply to the European Union.
In his view, Albania takes on commitments and carries out reforms, while the EU must uphold its side of the integration agreement. His message was that the process should not be dragged out if the Albanian side fulfills the required obligations.
Gradual integration before full membership
The minister also voiced support for the gradual inclusion of candidate countries in European structures before full membership. According to him, Albania is already fully aligned with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
From that logic, he argued that candidate countries should at least have observer presence at the tables where issues are discussed that later directly affect them as well, even if without voting rights.
Integration as a choice with no turning back
In the interview, Hoxha presented Albania’s European orientation as a complete and not a selective choice. According to him, EU membership cannot be treated as a package from which only the convenient parts are taken.
He described European integration as the decisive project for the country’s future, insisting that this is Albania’s strategic path.
The minister’s statements come at a time when the government is seeking to present progress in negotiations, but the real balance of reforms continues to be measured by concrete results in corruption, justice, media and democratic standards.
The call for the EU to keep its own commitments shifts part of the pressure to Brussels, but without diminishing the fact that the strongest evidence for integration remains within the country.