Bernard Kouchner's forecast for Albania: Negotiations within the year

Former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expects the European Union to launch Albania's membership negotiations this year.

In an opinion published in the Financial Times several months after visiting Albania in the midst of the justice reform crisis, now that everything has been resolved, Kushner expects that to happen after the elections and the Trieste summit in July.

Kouchner believes that the enlargement of the EU is stalling because of Brex, rising nationalism or enlargement fatigue. He is optimistic about the Western Balkans.

EU response will be positive in at least two negotiating processes, Kouchner says, judging by the resources the EU has made available to keep the six states on the way to membership, as has recently been the case with the interventions in Albania and Macedonia.

Indicator is the case of Albania. "For three months, the Democratic Party went in an umbrella asking for Rama's resignation, boycotting the Parliament, and it was never clear why with a bombastic language within it were held speeches that could have been well maintained in Parliament", says the former minister French Foreign.

But it was clear that, by vacating the seats in the parliament, Democrats were blocking justice reform, the last required by the EU before the opening of membership talks.

Brussels was put into operation. Mogherini and the Enlargement Negotiator, Kristian Danielsson, led the delegations they talked to party leaders. Likewise, the MEPs mediated and their agreement was reached.

Before the demands of the DP leader, according to Kouchner, Rama had a key claim, he insisted on justice reforms ahead of the election.

"Without saying that talks with the EU did not progress. His strategy for achieving compromise was the opening of talks and not the temporary division of power, "says Kouchner.

He says that Rama is emerging as one of the most sophisticated political leaders in Europe. "A renowned international artist, former football battalion, polygon, and unlike others, does not sell slogans," says Kouchner.

Rama also sees EU entry as the key to stabilizing the Balkans and disagreements in the region. He has called on Brussels to hasten the process of creating a fence against Russian influence.

"My breath as a Balkan observer for a long time is that despite the hesitation, Brussels has a good look at this point of view. The EU must keep its hopes alive in the Balkans. Even the moment has come with pro-EU leaders in Albania, Serbia and Macedonia, a squad of reformers ready to lead the way to the EU, "concludes his statement at the Financial Times Bernard Kouchner Google Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite Translator