Albania was ranked by Ursula von der Leyen among the countries making the most progress on the path toward the European Union, but her message in Tirana was not a blank check. According to the President of the European Commission, membership will be measured by merit and concrete fulfillment, while Brussels is preparing roadmaps for countries moving faster in the process.
Brussels speaks of progress, but sets clear conditions
At the joint conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, von der Leyen said that Albania’s EU accession process will be based on merit. She stressed that concrete roadmaps toward membership will be drafted for the countries that have made the greatest progress.
According to her, this process should not necessarily be seen as slow, but as a path with measurable steps. In essence, the signal from Brussels was twofold: recognition for the pace so far, but also strong filtering for the stages ahead.
What the EU will examine before enlargement
The President of the European Commission said that institutions, policies and finances will be reviewed to see whether the EU is ready to receive new members. Along the same lines, she underlined that the roadmaps will also serve to guarantee that EU values and the rule of law continue after accession.
This wording suggests that beyond political declarations about progress, the main weight remains on the standards required by Brussels, especially the functioning of institutions and respect for the rule of law.
Albania among the countries with the greatest progress
Von der Leyen included Albania in the group of countries that, according to the European Commission’s assessment, have made the greatest progress. According to the version she presented, the roadmaps will turn the integration process into concrete steps, clearly defining what must be done and what remains afterward.
It is precisely this part of the message that is seen as the political core of the visit: Albania is receiving a positive assessment, but not an unconditional promise of a timetable or automatic entry into the EU.
The 2019 earthquake and school reconstruction return to focus
In her remarks, von der Leyen also brought up the 2019 earthquake, recalling that at the time she had promised that Europe would stand by Albania. She said that this support has materialized, among other things, through the EU program for the reconstruction of schools.
According to her statement, 63 schools have been rebuilt, including the “Emin Duraku” school, which she announced she would visit. The political message was clear: Brussels is linking concrete post-earthquake assistance with the broader narrative of Albania’s closer ties with the EU.
The statements by the President of the European Commission give Tirana important political support regarding integration, but they also confirm that the final decision cannot be separated from the conditions on institutions, finances and the rule of law.
So, beyond the optimistic tone of the meeting, the main message remains that the path toward the EU will depend on concrete proof and not only on the rhetoric of progress.