Integration expert: Albania should have a unified stance with the EU on developments with the US

2026-01-21 16:28:00, Aktualitet CNA

Integration expert: Albania should have a unified stance with the EU on

Integration expert, Gladis Gjepali, analyzed today the situation with geopolitical alignments related to the EU, following the steps recently announced by the US on several issues.

In a television appearance, Gjepali stated that currently, the priority for the EU is to react to these developments and take future steps, while underlining that there is a real risk from the European stance, due to the reaction of member states.

Regarding the events coinciding with the first anniversary of Trump's presidency, the expert said that this has brought a kind of uncertainty to all countries around the globe, due to the different attitudes and positions that have been held by Trump.

"It is a difficult moment, in fact, because of the demands that the President of the United States of America has made regarding Greenland. There is already a discussion within the European Union about what the reaction will be and what the next steps will be. This is definitely a more important priority for the European Union than anything else. However, I think that the enlargement process is not affected, at least in the short term, because these are issues that arise from time to time and there must definitely be a reaction and a common position of the European Union to address them. There is a real risk, because this depends on the reaction of the member states.

As we know, there are a number of member states that have opposed some of the European Union's initiatives or are more aligned with the United States of America on some of the issues. In this regard, it is very important to have a unified position from all member states. If we do not have such a position, then this European structure itself is at great risk, because it will not be able to face the challenges, even the imposition of tariffs, where the response must be from all countries. It is impossible for a country to take measures bilaterally, because we already have a common European market. It is impossible for a country to act alone, the agreement of all countries will be needed. If such an agreement is not reached, then the need for the existence of the European Union is also lost.

In fact, this has brought a kind of uncertainty to all countries of the globe, due to the different stances and positions that have been held during the first year of the Trump presidency. Also, due to the special situations in conflict zones where there has been American intervention, or in those areas where previously the United States guaranteed stability, now this is no longer guaranteed. So, it is not known what stance the United States or President Trump may take, and this creates a climate of uncertainty both in the creation of alliances and in the positioning of countries towards multilateral organizations, such as the UN in the first place, but also other organizations that have already faded and lost their importance, "- said Gjepali./ CNA