TIRANA, November 14 /ATA/ – During a meeting of the Socialist Party’s (SP) National Assembly, Prime Minister Edi Rama—who also serves as the leader of the Socialist Party— emphasized this defining moment on the country’s road to the EU.
According to the prime minister, this is a moment when politics must rise above the daily noise and look past the fog of the latest crisis.
Rama stated that the Socialist Party must understand how to exercise the responsibility of leadership without losing clarity of vision.
“At a moment when the noise and smoke are thicker than ever, the Socialist Party must see clearly where the country stands. We must recognize the value of our achievements—and everything the nation stands to lose if we let that noise pressure us and that smoke blind us,” said Rama.
The head of government drew attention to the latest European Commission report, which recommends that the European Council initiate preparations in 2027 for drafting the treaty for Albania’s accession to the European Union. “In the report, the EC carries a phrase of significant importance for the country’s progress—at a time when our nation is under internal pressure, we are seeing a protest—originally sparked by completely different issues—politically hijacked and turned into a violent assault on the government. More importantly, it is an assault on the very future we want for Albania,” added Rama.
The prime minister described the EC’s recommendation for Albania as historic, noting that it serves as a profound and indisputable confirmation—not only that the country is moving in the right direction, but also that Albania has reached its highest point yet in its ascent toward the ultimate goal: full integration into the family of European states and societies.
According to the prime minister, the mention of initiating preparations to draft an accession treaty for Albania’s EU membership—a phrase appearing in the EC report—marks a first in Albania’s European integration journey. “This is the final page of the history that we—the Socialist Party—are writing, with the trust of the majority of Albanians. Until yesterday, this was out of reach; today, it is within grasp. It is no longer just another promise repeated by every political force from one campaign to the next. Today, Europe is tangible—pointed out by the European Commission itself, which indicates that the moment has arrived to begin preparations for the historic treaty that will make Albania an EU member state,” stated Rama.
Rama emphasized that at this historic moment, we must pool all our intellect, willpower, and energy to turn this final page—part of a book that began being written in the distant, forgotten past—into reality.
“We found ourselves at the end of a chapter that resembled a ledger of debts across every sector—marked by failures, the looming threat of an imminent financial collapse, and a total lack of hope that Albania could ever become a European state. In 2013, people were asking for the most basic things. When we launched the energy sector reform, Albania began to awaken, with the sense that a new chapter in state-building had begun,” Rama added.
Meanwhile, the prime minister also drew attention to the challenge of judicial reform. “These have been years of reforms, clashes, and strenuous efforts—such as the judicial reform—involving confrontations with deeply entrenched interests that found their most repulsive manifestation within the justice system itself. There have been years of changes that once seemed entirely impossible,” added Rama. /p.s./
