At the panel of this ceremony held in Tirana, where the discussion centered on the role of youth in the continent’s future, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that Albania is still fully cognizant of the numerous opportunities that come with being part of the European Union.

“I don’t think I have a final message, but perhaps more things to say, especially when we talk about this kind of topic, at this moment in time we are living, which also makes the issue more complex, and as Martini put it, it is important that in this conference, we provide an answer to a question from all its perspectives,” said Rama.

“What I would like to add, after hearing the prior speakers, is that for the younger generation, or perhaps especially for them, the European Union is the solution, far more so than anything outside of the EU. I don’t want to mention painful examples, but let’s take a look at the United Kingdom post-Brexit—how things turned out for the youth there. Or let’s examine how the illusion that Britain would have more money, more tools, more power by being outside the EU has been shattered, broken, and destroyed many networks, walls, and forces that were built within the EU. I believe the European Union has aspects that can be criticized, not because it is a flawed project, but because the project is unfinished,” said Rama.

The head of government stated, “It is crucial not to lose sight of the value of the guarantees the EU has provided to all of its member states.”

Rama cited the case of Germany.

“Germany has long been our role model, the champion, so to speak. However, if we were to remove Germany from the EU and consider what it would project and how it would fare without the EU’s remarkable market, we would be discussing something completely different. Additionally, all the data and studies we see about Poland, the Czech Republic, and other countries making significant progress compared to the past demonstrate that this is the result of the EU’s influence,” said Rama.

“The more years go by, the more I become aware of what we could lose if the EU weakens and what a tragedy it would be if the EU were to disappear. It would be like leaving and walking out of history on our own feet,” Rama concluded his response.

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