Progress report for Albania/ Gonzato: Competitive elections, but marked by shortcomings

2025-11-05 11:30:00, Politikë CNA

Progress report for Albania/ Gonzato: Competitive elections, but marked by

The European Union Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, held a conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, for the submission of the progress report for Albania.

In his speech, Gonzato said that the report is published at a very important moment for Albania's integration.

Gonzato then focused on Albania's fulfillment of its objectives, saying that the pace of reforms must be accelerated. The priority for this is the fulfillment of what are called immediate milestones.

The ambassador also touched on the elections, saying that the EU relied on the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR. Gonzato stated that the elections were marked by significant shortcomings that led to an uneven competition.

" Yesterday, the EC approved the enlargement package for 2025, which includes the annual report on Albania.

This year's report comes at a very important moment for Albania's integration into the EU. All of this has been achieved with extraordinary speed. I congratulate the Albanian authorities for this. We are entering a crucial phase where Albania's ability to align with EU standards will be tested.

The European Union will disburse 93.3 million euros to Albania. To meet the objectives, Albania must accelerate the pace of reforms. The priority is to meet what are called immediate milestones. Without their fulfillment, no other chapter group can be closed, even provisionally.

The reporting period covers September 1, 2024 to September 1, 2025. The findings of this report present the strengths and challenges that we have presented throughout the year. The report reminds us that the current dynamics should be translated into faster reforms in line with EU standards.

The report assesses that the functioning of democratic institutions has been partially challenged. The elections were competitive, but were marked by significant shortcomings including the use of public resources, which led to the lack of independence in the competition. The report emphasizes that in relation to the functioning of the judiciary, Albania has made progress , "declared Gonzato.