Genc Pollo – President of the Paneuropa Albania Movement
Former Minister and MP
April 2025
“Whatever the European Court decides—if it says it can’t be done, we won’t do it; if it says it can, we will.” This was, roughly speaking, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s stance in March 2023, expressed at a press conference following the Albania-EU Stabilization and Association Council meeting. Standing alongside EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, Rama addressed the controversial issue of “golden passports”—citizenship granted to foreigners in exchange for payments or investments.
Golden Passports: A Problematic Source of Revenue
Prime Minister Rama had long championed this initiative, actively participating in international forums promoting “citizenship through investment.” In London, November 2019, he described golden passports as “the right way” and “something we must do,” openly defying Brussels’ objections. At the time, golden passport schemes existed in Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Malta, despite widespread criticism and concerns about security risks, corruption, and money laundering. Indeed, Brussels correctly identified these schemes as potential gateways for dangerous individuals from hostile third countries to infiltrate Europe.
Scandals soon emerged, notably in Bulgaria and Cyprus, where leaked footage revealed politicians negotiating bribes for citizenship promises. Brussels intervened decisively, resulting in the termination of these schemes. Only Malta continued to resist, invoking national sovereignty and the interests of its people. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who had initiated the golden passport program in 2014, maintained his stance despite resigning after evidence emerged linking his government to the murder of an investigative journalist. His successor, Robert Abela, who was also personally implicated in profiting from Russian applicants, continued to resist EU pressure. Ultimately, the European Commission sued Malta for treaty violations and the commodification of European citizenship.
In Albania, while Rama publicly deferred to future EU judgments, his government nonetheless pushed ahead, establishing a comprehensive legal framework for selling passports. This included creating a specialized agency within the Ministry of Interior and, unprecedentedly, outsourcing applicant screening to a public-private partnership (PPP). Although the Albanian passport does not offer all the privileges of an EU passport, it does grant visa-free access to the Schengen Area, making it attractive enough for potential investors.
The Court’s Decisive Verdict
On April 29, 2025, the European Court of Justice delivered a landmark ruling against Malta’s golden passport scheme. The Court unequivocally stated that EU citizenship could not be bought, declaring such commercialization fundamentally incompatible with the principles of EU citizenship established by the treaties. The ruling underscored that citizenship should reflect a genuine bond between an individual and a state, founded on solidarity, good faith, and mutual obligations—principles fundamentally breached by Malta’s financial citizenship model.
This decision effectively bars all EU states from commercializing citizenship. Echoing Maltese opposition voices, the ruling emphasized: “Our passports have value, but not a price.”
Tirana’s Moment of Reflection
Given this verdict, Prime Minister Rama is unlikely to revisit or justify his earlier enthusiasm for golden passports. Nevertheless, this episode highlights broader governance issues in Albania. Despite the obvious risks posed by such a scheme to Albania’s national security and EU integration prospects, domestic opposition, civil society, media, and even the judiciary proved ineffective in halting Rama’s initiative. Ironically, assistance came from Brussels, whose intervention aligned precisely with Albania’s long-term interests.
This incident serves as a crucial reminder that EU oversight can, at critical moments, align effectively with Albanian interests, providing a safeguard against questionable domestic policies. Yet, it also underscores an uncomfortable truth: Brussels has sometimes shown implicit tolerance towards Rama’s authoritarian and kleptocratic tendencies, particularly when abstract condemnations of corruption coexist with tacit political support.
Nevertheless, in this instance, the European Commission deserves credit for its decisive intervention.
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