Freedom Party MP, Erisa Xhixho, invited to the studio News24, commented on recent political developments and their impact on Albania's European integration process.
Referring to reports that nine European Union countries have not approved the IBAR report on Albania, Xhixho stressed that the government's narrative has changed, shifting responsibility abroad.
"Today we hear another narrative from Prime Minister Rama, that integration is not in our hands," she said.
According to Xhixho, one of the key moments that negatively affected this process was the vote in the Assembly on the issue of the immunity of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, where according to her the majority used the votes to obstruct justice.
"83 votes were used to block justice and this constitutes a direct obstacle to European integration," she declared.
The MP also referred to the statements of MEPs, including David McAllister, who, according to her, described the Balluku case as a test for Albania on its path towards the EU.
“Not only was a political shield created for Balluk, but changes are also being made to the Criminal Procedure Code to protect the prime minister and the government from criminal prosecution,” Xhixho emphasized.
She added that several EU member states have raised serious questions about Albania's progress, focusing not only on the official reports of the European Commission, but also on concrete developments in the country.
"At this stage, the implementation of human rights and other important elements of the IBAR report are assessed. Only after the approval of this report can we move forward with the closure of chapters that are challenging for Albania," she said.
In conclusion, Xhixho emphasized that the skepticism of member states is also related to the information they have about the real situation in Albania, beyond official documents, underlining that the integration process requires concrete standards and real implementation of reforms.
