Albania is being presented from Brussels as a country that has moved forward in the integration process, but the message delivered in the European Parliament was not without conditions. Alongside praise for the pace of reforms and the temporary closure of four chapters, the emphasis once again fell on old wounds: justice, media freedom, fundamental rights and the environment.
Praise for the pace, but not a blank check
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said in the European Parliament that Albania has made progress in implementing key reforms and has advanced on the path toward membership in the European Union.
According to her, this pace is seen as an indicator of official Tirana’s commitment to integration, while this year an important milestone was marked with the fulfillment of the interim benchmarks for the first cluster, that of Fundamentals.
Four chapters closed, the 2027 target remains on the table
Kos said that, following this step, Albania has temporarily closed four chapters and is working to meet the closing benchmarks in other chapters.
According to her, the stated objective of closing negotiations by the end of 2027 remains ambitious, but achievable, if the focus is maintained on the reforms considered key by the EU.
Justice, media freedom and fundamental rights at the center
The point at which the European message becomes less celebratory is linked to the basic standards of the rule of law. Kos stressed that at the center of every reform effort must be the rule of law, an independent judiciary, media freedom and the protection of fundamental rights.
This wording shows that, despite the progress reported on chapters, Brussels continues to read the process not only through figures and deadlines, but also through the filter of functioning institutions and democratic guarantees.
The environment, another test beyond integration rhetoric
The commissioner said Albania must also work more on environmental issues, considering them important not only for EU membership, but also for citizens’ daily lives.
The message suggests that integration is measured not only through negotiations and political declarations, but also through concrete results in areas where citizens directly face the consequences of institutional inaction.
In essence, the assessment given in the European Parliament for Albania is positive, but clearly conditioned by the quality of reforms and not simply by their pace.
Beyond official optimism over chapters and deadlines, justice, media freedom and the environment remain the real tests by which the sustainability of this progress is measured.