TIRANA, February 28/ATA/ Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku stated today that Albania should not accept a partial integration into the European Union that avoids institutional and democratic transformation. She warned of the risk of a permanent place in the periphery within European structures and the danger of a two-speed Europe that leaves certain regions behind.
Tabaku emphasized that the proposal for an accelerated economic integration of the Western Balkans into the common market and the Schengen area, postponing full institutional membership, may seem superficially appealing, but it has fundamental flaws.
“The European Union is not simply a market without customs tariffs. It is a democratic order built on strong institutions, equality before the law and limitation of power. This order does not function divided into parts,” she underlined.
“The history of enlargement after 1989 has clearly confirmed: economic integration has always been a consequence of institutional transformation, not its replacement. The countries that joined built a functional state, independent justice and stable rules. From this operating environment, there was born economic growth and prosperity for their citizens. The basis of this prosperity was functional democracy and the rule of law”, emphasized Tabaku.
According to her, the demand for economic benefits before the completion of the democratic transformation overturns the logic of the process and risks weakening European standards in institutions.
She emphasized that Albanian citizens remain committed to European integration, but see in the EU a guarantee of standards, not simply facilitation of the movement.
Albania, she emphasized, should not aim for the comfortable minimum.
‘It should aim for the full standard. “Partial integration without full democracy is not acceleration, it is institutionalization of shortcomings,” she said. /a.f/p.s./
