Former Democratic Party MP Genc Pollo told Deutsche Welle that Albania’s EU accession talks will practically start only once the government has met the conditions set by the European Council.
Pollo, who was chair of the EU Affairs Parliamentary Committee, argued that the number of conditions set has now increased to 15, more than ever during the last three years. He said that at this point, one can question whether Albania has made genuine progress. This in part explains why there is not set date for starting EU talks with Albania, according to Pollo.
He warned that the European Council is concerned with the implementation of legislation and this necessitates strict monitoring. The EC requires not only approving electoral reform legislation, but also putting it in practice as a precondition. This, according to Pollo, means that the government coming out of next general elections will sit at the negotiating table with the EU.
Pollo also claimed that while the government is responsible for fulfilling the conditions put forth by the EU, the opposition has a responsibility to make the public aware of these conditions, besides the duty to exercise its democratic control function, and contribute to the electoral reform.
