Germany has urged the Albanian opposition to enter parliament following the April 25 elections and work with the majority in ensuring Albania’s future in the EU.
Following a meeting on Friday with Democratic Party (PD) leader Lulzim Basha, German Minister for Europe Michael Roth stated that he “hopes that after all the debates, [the parties] will find a constructive tone and a new approach to governance,” and that “the parliament is the right place to do this.”
Basha has vowed not to recognize the April 25 elections, which the opposition calls “an electoral massacre” due to the alleged extensive vote rigging, but has hinted that they will enter the parliament nevertheless.
Roth confirmed that he trusts the OSCE/ODIHR report that found elections to be impartial, adding that all criticisms that will be addressed in this regard should be dealt with through the appropriate institutions.
Roth also spoke in favor of the country beginning EU accession talks, saying that Albania has fulfilled its end of the bargain, and that Germany will support Albania in opening negotiations.
Meanwhile, Basha reiterated his claims of electoral fraud, stating on April 25, Albania lost the opportunity to become a democratic country and move forward in the country’s European Integration process, which has been delayed for 8 years during PM Rama’s two terms.
Basha also asked Roth and international actors to denounce the April 25 elections before it’s too late as, according to him, the Albanian parliament will be filled with criminals and the institution already has the lowest index in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
