With the recent destruction of 153 houses in Shkoza and 19 houses in Himara, the Rama government has not only violated the constitutional rights of the citizens, as we explained before, but also a condition set by the EU for the opening of accession negotiations.
Even though hardly ever mentioned in the public debate or media aligned to the government, the respect for human rights is explicitly including the right to property, is one of the five conditions set by the EU, and has been part and parcel of the EU reports on Albania’s progress toward integration, and is as important as the fight against drugs and organized crime.
In December 2016, the European Council stated in its evaluation of Albania:
The Council reiterates the need for effective legislative and policy measures to reinforce the protection of human rights and anti-discrimination policies, including the equal treatment of all minorities and access to rights for persons belonging to them throughout Albania, as well as to efficiently implement property rights.
