Throughout the 90s, the rallying cry across Albania was, “We want Albania like the rest of Europe!” United beyond religion, societal background, or ideology, Albanians, weary of a 50-year dictatorship that severed ties with the world, longed to grasp the until-then forbidden European dream. After the fall of communism and the reopening of the country, Albanians thought they’d find Europe beyond the borders. Yet, despite over three decades of transformation, Albania is still reaching out in an attempt to join “the rest of Europe”.
The chaotic post-communist years—marked by the disputed 1996 elections, the 1997 pyramid scheme crisis, and the civil war that succeeded it—aligned Albania more with turmoil than progress. Meanwhile, even other former Soviet bloc nations like Poland, Hungary, and the Baltics rapidly joined Europe’s ranks, leaving Albania trailing behind, bogged down by bureaucracy, unmet conditions, and the gnawing feeling like the endless toil will never be enough to make Albanians full-fledged citizens of the old continent.
The current attitude of Albanians towards the EU is one of growing defeatism and euroscepticism, but how did things turn out this way? Let’s consider the very basic but fundamental question of why Albania’s EU integration is stalling.
Albania’s internal issues
According to the EU itself, one of the clearest obstacles to Albania’s EU accession is its inability to fully meet the required criteria. Looking at the EU’s latest progress report, the country is very willing to make efforts to join the EU and align itself with EU foreign policy, even while dealing with the fallout from the 2019 earthquake and the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, there are some vulnerabilities within Albanian society, which are proving more problematic than expected, namely the ones outlined below.
Judicial reforms have seen progress, with all nine seats on the Constitutional Court now filled. There have also been arrests in major anti-corruption cases, and the vetting of judges and prosecutors has boosted transparency. That said, corruption remains a familiar, well-known issue to many Albanians. The lack of high-level convictions only reinforces the normalization of a culture of under-the-table deals.
On the public administration front, Albania’s push to digitize services has been quite widespread, especially post-pandemic. Ask any Albanian, and they’ll tell you how the government has pushed to modernize processes. But for many, like the elderly, the digital divide leaves them frustrated, unable to benefit from these advancements.
When it comes to media freedom, Albania is notably struggling. Political influence and concentrated media ownership remain a problem, and journalists continue to face intimidation, which hurts the independence of the press and public trust. For the average Albanian, finding an unbiased news source is a challenge, often forcing them to turn to foreign outlets or fall prey to political agendas.
The Waning Dream: EU’s Enlargement Fatigue
For anyone in the Balkans following EU accession talks, the phrase “enlargement fatigue” is all too familiar. For years now, the EU has been hesitant to welcome new countries into the fold for various reasons, but to the citizens it all boils down to one bitter truth; the door to the EU is no longer as wide open as it once was.
This fatigue has set in after several rounds of enlargement, especially following the admission of Eastern European countries in the 2000s, with the last country to join the EU club being Croatia in 2013. More than a decade later, the EU remains cautious about integrating “economically and politically divergent” nations like those in the Western Balkans. The fear is that absorbing these countries could stretch the EU’s resources too thin.
But Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine is gradually shifting the EU’s stance on expansion, according to many analysts. Unlike some of their eastern neighbors, Balkan countries don’t rely heavily on the EU for security. Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro are safely within NATO’s protection, while Bosnia and Kosovo both benefit from a strong NATO presence. For Eastern European countries like Ukraine and Moldova, the lack of NATO protection drives them to see EU membership as a substitute for security.
However, with Ukraine’s push for EU membership, the western Balkans – Albania included – are worried about being left behind once again. Despite this, without the war, negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia would have been even slower. Could this be the beginning of another era of enlargement for the EU? Analysts are cautiously optimistic.
How Pervasive is Euroscepticism in Albania?
Euroscepticism in Albania tends to be relatively low compared to other Balkan countries, but it’s definitely present and growing by the day. Most Albanians still see EU membership as overwhelmingly positive, a promise of economic growth, stability, and security. Albania has no sentimental historical ties to Russia, and NATO’s involvement in the region is seen as essential for peace in areas like Kosovo.
For better or for worse, Albania’s isolation in the communist era and its lack of natural allies in the Balkan region means that Russia’s shadow does not loom quite so heavily over the country as it does in other ex-Yugoslav nations. The Albanian government and public generally view EU membership as the best path for economic development and regional stability, making alternatives from Russia (like BRICS) or China hold little appeal, although fringe pro-russian political groups do exist.
That said, if delays in the EU process persist, economic or diplomatic overtures from China, especially through infrastructure investments, could gain some traction, though this is less likely to shift Albania’s main goal of EU accession.
The reality is that despite the slow pace, the prospect of European integration has always been the main driver for much-needed reforms in Albania. The hope of joining the EU is enticing enough that the country has been willing to stomach these costs.
Analysts note that the political deadlock in Brussels has already benefited Albania’s elites, allowing them to deflect blame onto Europe rather than addressing the lack of progress on corruption, crime, and the rule of law. Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed that Albania had “fulfilled its obligations for EU membership”, placing the blame on the European Council and European Commission for the delays.
This creates growing resentment and frustration among citizens. A growing sentiment among Albanians is that if the EU wanted Albania to have accession, they would have made it happen already, with citizens pointing to the case of the EU helping the Baltic countries integrate step-by-step. High-ranking Albanian government officials thrive in this environment, where they can put off addressing real issues while collecting the maximum payout.
Breaking the Cycle of Delay
Most critically, enlargement must be freed from the grip of individual member states, who may use the process to serve their national interests. Whether it’s Greece and Cyprus with Turkey, or Bulgaria and Greece with North Macedonia, these national disputes have severely undermined the credibility of the accession process by constantly shifting the goalposts.
The real problem lies in giving EU governments the power to block progress at every stage. Hungary, under Orbán, has shamelessly exploited this, and there’s no need for such interference. The technical stages of accession should remain with the Commission, as they were in previous rounds.
To make this shift, Albania need a first mover to break the deadlock. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has accelerated this process, and many analysts believe that the EU will “close its eyes” to certain conditions in order to absorb the Western Balkans as soon as possible, starting with Montenegro.
If supporters of EU enlargement are serious, they must act decisively to push this vision forward. Once momentum builds within EU accession talks, not even the strongest resistance can stand against the rising tide.
