During a recent plenary session of the European Parliament concerning the future of the Western Balkans, MEP Andreas Schieder provided an assessment of Albania’s trajectory toward European Union membership. Schieder characterized Albania as one of the most advanced candidates within the ongoing enlargement process. He noted that the country has established significant momentum toward integration, suggesting that Albania already possesses “a foot in the European camp.”
Schieder cited strong domestic backing for EU accession, pointing out that support for European integration among Albanian citizens exceeds 90 percent.
Based on this momentum, he stated that achieving the goal of concluding accession negotiations by the end of 2026 is a realistic prospect. The MEP highlighted Albania’s dedication to adopting the European model, citing the rapid progress across various sectors as evidence of this commitment. Specifically, Schieder noted that the successful opening of all negotiation chapters within a relatively short timeframe—approximately 13 months—demonstrates Albania’s considerable dedication to the European Union framework.
These statements underscore the positive view within the European Parliament regarding Albania’s reform efforts. The focus remains on monitoring the implementation of necessary reforms across all designated negotiation chapters to solidify Albania’s path toward full European integration.
Topics: #european #schieder #albania
