Among the countries seeking to join the European Union, Albania is now regarded by Brussels as one of the most advanced candidates, alongside Montenegro, after opening all negotiating clusters in just 13 months. At a time when enlargement has returned to the heart of the European debate, Tirana is seeking to accelerate its accession process, pointing to the progress made in recent months and reaffirming its ambition to complete the technical stage of negotiations by the end of 2027. To take stock of Albania’s path towards the EU, the reforms still required, public perceptions, and Tirana’s role in the regional landscape and in its relations with Italy, Focus Europe interviewed Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha.
In the interview with Focus Europe, Hoxha highlights the pace gained by Albania’s accession talks in recent months, noting that in little more than a year the country has gone from having no open clusters to opening six clusters and 33 chapters. He says the aim is to complete the technical stage of the process by the end of 2027, acknowledges that the most challenging dossiers remain those related to environment, agriculture and transport, and reiterates Tirana’s full alignment with the European Union’s common foreign and security policy. At a time when Brussels sees Albania and Montenegro as the two most advanced candidates on the path to accession, Focus Europe spoke to Hoxha about the state of negotiations with the EU, domestic support for European integration, relations with Italy, and Albania’s role in the Western Balkans.
What is the current state of Albania’s accession process to the European Union, particularly with regard to the negotiating clusters? Where has the most significant progress been observed, and what challenges still remain to be addressed?
The European Union integration has been the top priority of Albania in the last 35 years, from the very first day when regime changed here, which was brought by the youth and by this desire to change everything fundamentally and irreversibly in our lives.
I was a student at that time, so I have very vivid memories of what was and what we have. And of course I can testify what we have done during the last 35 years in trying to see how we can really implement what was the very first sentence of the students in the early 90s: “we want Albania like the rest of Europe”. I’m not sure we knew how this would happen at that time. I’m not sure we had all the mechanisms and the muscle and the energy, but we knew where we wanted to go, and that was very important.
Our destination was very clear and it has not changed since that time.
Now, for a long time, our relationship with the European Union, the institutions of the member states, have been with ups and downs. We never got discouraged, and that’s the most important thing. But of course, sometimes we were getting closer, sometimes we were not really moving that much. This has fundamentally changed in the last three years. On the 13th of October 2024, Albania had opened 0 clusters, 0 chapters. On the 17th, just let’s go with the clock very quickly. On the 17th of November of the next year, 2025, Albania has opened 6 clusters and 33 chapters. So this is the magnitude of what we have done in the course of 13 months. This is the magnitude of the preparation that we had, of the capacity that we showed, and frankly, we discovered ourselves in this exercise.
But of course, that’s just one part of it. And with the new methodology – Albania is the first country negotiating under the new methodology that was adopted in 2020 – we have to first meet the so called “interim benchmarks”. And for this the European Commission has made a report with back and forth, with lots of questions, that has been presented at end of February to the Council and the Council is deliberating. Given the fact that this is the first report, of course it will take a little bit of time.
And our ambition is clear and it has been made public: we want to be able to close the technical part of the exercise, meaning that we want to close all the chapters by the end of 27. It may seem ambitious, but wasn’t it ambitious to open all the clusters and the chapters in one year, in 13 months? It was. Did it happen? It happened. Which means that we have this capacity, the knowledge, the maturity, the political resolve. We know that this opportunity is unique and we cannot, will not, must not waste it.
Could you specify more clearly which areas Albania is close to closing the chapters in?
Look, there are 33 chapters, and in fact 30 of them cover absolutely everything: every aspect of our daily lives falls, in one way or another, within these chapters. There are chapters which are, I would say, “rather easy”. In the sense that they are not less important, but easy because we have done a lot so we are better prepared. And there are chapters where we know and we recognize we have to do more.
For instance, when we talk about science and technology, we’re very much advanced, so we can move on. When we talk about trade relations with other countries, we have done a lot and of course we are complying with the rules and regulations and requests of the European Commission and we can move on. Regarding Chapter 31, which is foreign relations, Albania has an exemplary record of alignment with the common security and foreign policy of the European Union. So we can move ahead on that as well. There are other chapters, of course, on specific areas where we think we are strong enough. And we have given proof to the European Commission that we are ready to start closing.
But of course, there are areas which are more demanding: environment, agriculture, transport. So these are big, important areas. And of course there’s a lot of aquis of the European Union on these areas as well. So we know where we are now because the screening report that we’ve done before opening negotiations taught us very clearly where we were and where we want to go, and what’s the gap that we need to fill. So this is exactly what we are doing through negotiations.
We are totally open and transparent because that’s the essence of the exercise: nobody fools anybody, nobody can really bypass anything.
In some aspects where we think that we need to do more and we need more time, of course, we have and will negotiate with the European Commission transitionary periods, which will take a little bit more time. This is common exercise, every country that has joined the European Union has gone through this exercise. It’s not the same areas for everyone, but of course it’s the same exercise: when you need more time – be it Albania when joining and need more time in some areas or the European Union asks us for certain areas to take more time before – we are fully and totally integrated European Union. So it’s just a matter of negotiation.
In your opinion, what makes Albania a strategically important partner for the European Union, both from a political and an economic perspective?
Every country that has joined the European Union has had one thing first, I guess, in mind and that’s also our mindset: joining a project of peace. This is what the European Union is. We know when it happened, how it happened and what it has produced and remains fundamentally the most important project of peace humanity has ever had. The results are there to be seen.
In these 35 years, Albania has shown that it’s one of the most responsible partners in the region. It has always favoured negotiations, cooperation, friendship with everyone around, always being in the forefront, sometimes thinking outside the box, sometimes proposing different regional initiatives. So this is one big asset that we will take it with us when we join the European Union.
Second, Albania has really been there forever, aligning our foreign policy with the common security and foreign policy of the European Union, which means that we agree with the decision of the European Union even when they are not easy, even when they are go against different parts of the world or contrary to interests of other partners. We have made a choice and that’s absolutely non negotiable: we agree with every common position of the European Union, and we also cooperate, we take part in a number of military missions or other missions of the European Union with our means, with our possibilities.
Then we bring a very open society. I don’t know how much you have had the possibility to really talk to Albanians and how much European they feel about that, how much they really, really want to be part of this ensemble of peace, development, trade and the most developed society in terms of rights, in terms of opportunities, in terms of equality before law and in the daily life. And also we bring something that is very particular to us and dear to us, which is the exceptional level of tolerance in the society between different kinds of communities, including the religious communities. And we know how difficult sometimes these issues are in countries where you have multi confessional societies.
Then it’s of course our landscape, it’s our culture, it’s our heritage, it’s our tourism that we bring it, part of it. Of course, I know that there is a lot of tourism opportunities in the European Union, but it will bring our part as well. And we will bring a country that is ready to move on, is ready to really be, to bring its part in the puzzle of this extremely unique project of the European Union. This is the mindset not of a minister or a government or some politicians, this is what every Albanian has in mind and wants to really make it happen.
Staying on the topic of citizens, what is their actual perception of the European Union, and what is the government doing to communicate it as comprehensively as possible, including the rules it entails?
For a long time European Union, in our eyes, was Italy. It was the Italian television, it was Italy that many Albanians went and it was Italy that many Albanians choose to settle. And we have, I think, one of the largest communities outside Albania, which lives in Italy and are absolutely fantastically integrated and they contribute to the Italian economy, but also to Albania.
But let’s go back to the question on how Albanians see the European Union project. For every Albanian joining the European Union is reconnecting with ourselves, with our identity, with our European identity. Because profoundly, in absolutely everything we feel Europeans, because we are Europeans. The only thing that was not achieved is the political identity of Albania as member of the European Union. And this is what we are trying to achieve with the negotiations.
I challenge anyone who comes to Albania not to see everywhere, in every corner of this country, the European spirit, the European desire and the European behaviour. In these 35 years, we have done a lot. The country has transformed, developed, the country has been “Europeanized” in many respects. And that really has remained the focus.
Lt’s use the figures of the Eurobarameter, which is the most trusted survey, it tells us early 2025, that more than 90% of Albanians want to join the European Union. Find me another country that has that figure.
As part of its institutional communications, the government devotes a specific section to explaining the process of joining the European Union and the European Union in general. We are going everywhere, in every corner of the country to meet the students and youth, to to talk about Europe, not to lecture anyone, just to have an interaction, comments, questions, how they see it, how they perceive it. This is important because young people will be the main beneficiaries of accession, and we want them to understand what it means to be European citizens, what benefits this entails, and also what responsibilities it entails.
In the international arena, is Albania fully aligned with the European Union’s positions? And if not, in which areas?
Is no area that we are not aligned with the European Union. This is something that we have decided, that every government has respected. Whatever the European Union decides and becomes a common position, it’s our position. That’s clear.
Now, you mentioned the geopolitical context that is very volatile and very unpredictable. We have been strong and are strong supporters of multilateralism, because we think that multilateralism and international law are important pillars that should be preserved and maintained. We see that we are at a period when multilateralism is a little bit in retreat, it’s under pressure – it has been other times that it has been in such a situation.
But this is also one of the factors because of the geopolitical situation, because of the war in our border, the war of aggression of Russia in Ukraine and the instability and threats it projects on the European security architecture, leads us to believe that enlargement is absolutely one of the key responses. Europe needs to know who are its friends, who want to join this project, and Europe needs to show to the world that countries – like Albania – still believe in the European project. A
Enlargement it’s an investment not only for Albania, but also for the European Union to become larger, stronger, better, and of course remain as the shining example of how nations can cooperate and do things together to the interest of everybody. And that’s really important. The European Union has absolutely a unique, golden opportunity to show to the rest of the world that it remains this shining example, but it remains also the hope of everyone who wants a better life in the most larger area of rights and of rights.
How do you assess cooperation with the current Italian government, particularly on the issue of migration, which has brought Albania and Italy closer together in recent years?
We have been lucky to have had this important and this strong country as “our lawyer” to other European countries and supporting always Albania’s drive. That is not only reflected in the excellent relations that we have bilaterally and in the strategic partnership that we have built over years, but also at every time when we needed support. For example in 1997, when Italy took the lead with Operazione Alba in Albania to really help stabilize the situation. And it has also been throughout the years, Italy has always responded our call.
There came just one time that Italy called us. The only time Italy called Albania for something. We didn’t even think about it, we didn’t even look at the matter. We said: “Italy calling, Albania responding”. And this is what happened in the protocol that we have on migration also, because we thought that if we can help – and we know that migration is a central issue in Europe and for Europe today – with our modest contribution, one of the leading countries in the European Union, one of the Mediterranean countries, one of the closest partners of Albania and bring our contribution, will be more than happy. But in any way, we have no doubt that this is something that is good for Italy, that is good for Europe.
We are absolutely in the same pattern of close, friendly strategic partnership and relations with Italy, because this reflects the sentiments of our countries, of our people, and there is absolutely no one who questions this quality of relationship in this country. And we want it to continue like this and probably make it better.
And with regard to the Western Balkans, what is the state of relations with other countries which, like Albania, are on the path to joining the European Union?
All the countries of the western Balkans want to join European Union, of all the six, five are candidates and I very much hope that Kosovo, the last one, will be a candidate country very soon. It deserves to have this push. Kosovo is a democracy and an established state now. And it’s really, really important for everyone, for the region that they get candidate status and they start working.
Now, if we take the whole ensemble of six countries, of course, the level of preparedness is different. Some say in Brussels, we don’t say, but some say in Brussels, that Montenegro and Albania are front runners. We’re very happy about that, but we remain sober. So it doesn’t mean much actually, because whatever is said in the media, what matters is what we do in the country and what we do for the country. Decisions and meetings happen in Brussels, but the impact of the reforms and of this process is in Albania is for our society, for our citizens, for all of us.
In this context, we have our relationship with the European Union and with the member states, but also we see it as an ensemble of the region getting closer. We have very close relations with Montenegro, especially between the negotiating teams, we compare our notes, we see, we look at each others’ reforms and we look at this at it as complementary. There is no jealousy between us or between us and other countries who are in the same process. I think the best thing we can do and we are doing, is to share experiences, lessons learned help us to do the right thing and to shorten the time in doing the right thing.
Authors: Sara Bertolli, Cesare Ceccato
