Albania will do "whatever it takes" to become an EU member, even if the price of joining the club is the temporary suspension of its national veto rights for a probationary period.
"I support it", Rama said, heading into a meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. Enlargement requires "creative" and "innovative" solutions as "Europe has a war to deal with on its own soil", Rama said.
According to reports, EU governments are discussing a plan to suspend veto powers for new entrants on foreign policy matters, such as sanctions against Russia and other decisions that require unanimity among member states.
Rama said he was relaxed about Albania temporarily having its voting rights curbed, insisting that Tirana has always been "100% aligned" with EU foreign policy.
"We will not waver, whatever it takes to get in", he said, describing Albania as "the EU Taliban".
Kos confirmed that "a wide range of options", including the veto probation, will be discussed, though any safeguards would only "bite hard" if future member states were found in breach of EU rules.
Any move to limit voting rights would need to be carefully designed and temporary, because EU treaty provisions on membership guarantee equal treatment.
Nevertheless, based on precedent, gradually phasing in new member states would not be a legal problem. New EU countries, mainly from poorer central and eastern countries, faced transitional restrictions after membership on freedom of movement after all EU enlargements from 2004 onwards.
Rama urged Brussels to move faster on enlargement across the board.
"It’s a big, big bet to wait for the (country’s third presidential) election without opening accession talks with Moldova", he said, referring to the EU’s failure to formally open concrete accession negotiations with Chisinau because the country’s progress has been tied to that of neighbouring Ukraine.
Rama dismissed the idea of the EU needing to reform before expanding to new member states. "It’s not going to happen like this – it cannot happen like this", he said.
Rama’s comments come as Tirana has signalled flexibility on other issues to ensure good relations with the bloc.
Earlier this month, Rama was forced into a climbdown over his foreign minister’s remarks to Euractiv, suggesting that Albania would not extend Italy’s migration deal beyond 2030 because it expected to be inside the EU by then.
(EUpravo zato/Euroactiv)
