Von der Leyen Visits Tirana and Urges Albania to Maintain Momentum on EU Accession Reforms
The European Commission President describes Albania as one of the frontrunners for EU membership but stresses that progress now depends on implementing reforms in justice, elections, environmental protection and democratic governance.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Tirana on September 30, 2026, beginning her sixth consecutive annual tour of the Western Balkans in Albania. She praised Albania’s recent momentum (vrull) in negotiations and described the country as one of the frontrunners in the European Union accession process. Von der Leyen said the membership objective was now within reach (arritje) after Albania opened all negotiating clusters and began provisionally closing individual chapters. Her message nevertheless combined encouragement with conditionality (kushtëzim), stressing that continued progress depends on completing and implementing demanding reforms.
Von der Leyen was welcomed in Tirana by Prime Minister Edi Rama before holding bilateral talks and a joint press conference. She highlighted Albania’s position among the leading candidates (vende kandidate) currently negotiating membership with the European Union. The Commission President emphasised the need to preserve the current trajectory (ecuri) instead of assuming that recent achievements make future progress automatic. Maintaining that pace will require continued implementation (zbatim) in every negotiating area that remains open.
Albania has made unusually rapid progress through the formal structure of accession negotiations during the last two years. By July 2026, all 33 negotiating chapters had been opened (hapur) and the country had begun the process of closing them. On July 14, Albania provisionally closed its first three chapters concerning science and research, education and culture, and external relations, representing an important milestone (pikë referimi). This transition from opening to closing chapters marks a new stage in which Albania must demonstrate a sustained track record (bilanc rezultatesh) rather than relying primarily on legislative promises.
The ability to begin closing chapters followed another important decision by the EU earlier in the year. In May, member states concluded that Albania had overall met the interim benchmarks (standarde ndërmjetëse) for the Fundamentals cluster. That cluster includes democratic institutions, public administration, economic criteria and the rule of law (sundim i ligjit) and has particular importance under the EU’s revised enlargement methodology. Progress in this area determines the overall pace (ritëm) of negotiations because the Fundamentals cluster is opened first and closed last.
Von der Leyen made clear that the next stage would be more demanding because legislative adoption alone is no longer sufficient. She specifically identified the justice system as an area where continued reform (reformë) remains necessary. Electoral rules also require additional consolidation (konsolidim) if Albania is to meet the democratic standards expected from a future member state. Environmental protection represents another important obligation (detyrim), with von der Leyen explicitly referring to the need to safeguard Albania’s exceptional natural environment.
The reference to the environment was particularly significant because Albania’s rapid tourism and infrastructure development has generated disputes over construction in sensitive areas. European integration requires greater alignment (përafrim) with EU environmental legislation as well as stronger institutions capable of applying those rules. Formal legislation must therefore be accompanied by credible enforcement (zbatim detyrues) when economic interests conflict with conservation obligations. The Commission’s emphasis suggests that environmental governance will face increasing European scrutiny (shqyrtim) as Albania moves closer to membership.
Von der Leyen also connected Albania’s European progress with the quality of democratic debate inside the country. She emphasised that reforms should be accompanied by strong dialogue (dialog) with society rather than being treated exclusively as a technical process conducted by the government. A functioning accession process also requires political pluralism (pluralizëm) and meaningful participation by opposition parties, civil society and citizens. Maintaining such engagement provides additional legitimacy (legjitimitet) for reforms that can substantially alter laws, institutions and economic rules.
Another major part of von der Leyen’s visit concerned the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The regional programme provides €6 billion to support economic convergence (konvergjencë) and reform across the candidate economies. Albania has an indicative allocation of approximately €922.1 million under the associated Reform and Growth Facility (instrument financiar). Access to that money depends on the fulfilment of agreed reform conditions (kushte reformash) rather than being distributed automatically.
Von der Leyen said Albania had already completed approximately 80 percent of the reforms currently expected under the Growth Plan. The country had received €213 million by the time of her visit, while additional disbursements (disbursime) were expected in the following weeks. These payments provide a direct financial incentive (nxitje) for implementing agreed changes within the required timetable. The approach creates a form of performance-based financing (financim i bazuar në performancë) in which progress on reform can unlock additional European funding.
The Reform Agenda covers areas extending far beyond traditional political institutions. Measures include improving the business and investment environment (mjedis ekonomik), strengthening digitalisation and advancing the green transition. Human-capital development, cyber security and reforms involving taxation and the cadastre form additional components (përbërës) of the programme. Rule-of-law objectives include anti-corruption results, judicial reform and improvements to the media environment (mjedis mediatik), linking financial assistance directly with institutional transformation.
Von der Leyen also referred to new roadmaps intended to make the remaining path toward membership clearer. Such a roadmap (udhërrëfyes) can translate the broad political objective of EU membership into individual deadlines and measurable steps. Greater predictability (parashikueshmëri) helps governments understand which reforms must be completed before negotiations can advance further. It also increases institutional accountability (llogaridhënie) because progress can be compared with previously agreed objectives rather than judged only through political statements.
President Bajram Begaj reinforced the same message during his meeting with von der Leyen later that day. He said Albania’s ambition was to maintain its current momentum (vrull) and work toward closing all negotiating chapters by the end of 2027. Begaj emphasised that membership must remain merit-based (i bazuar në meritë) and depend on concrete results. He also argued that genuine Europeanisation requires effective application (zbatim praktik) of European standards rather than merely passing laws that resemble EU legislation.
Closing all chapters would not itself automatically make Albania an EU member. A chapter can be closed only provisionally until the entire accession package (paketë anëtarësimi) has been agreed. Member states retain an important prerogative (prerogativë) because final accession ultimately requires political and legal approval across the Union. This means Albania’s reform credibility (besueshmëri) must be maintained throughout the entire process rather than ending when individual technical negotiations are completed.
Foreign-policy alignment has become one of Albania’s strongest arguments in favour of faster integration. Von der Leyen highlighted Albania’s complete alignment (përafrim) with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Such consistency demonstrates geopolitical convergence (konvergjencë) between Tirana and Brussels at a time when European enlargement is increasingly viewed through a security perspective. Albania’s position gives the country additional strategic credibility (besueshmëri strategjike) as the EU debates how to integrate the Western Balkans into a wider European political and security framework.
The wider geopolitical context has made enlargement more important to the European Commission than it was during periods when expansion appeared distant. Von der Leyen has repeatedly described enlargement as a geopolitical imperative (domosdoshmëri gjeopolitike) for the European Union. Candidate countries are increasingly offered forms of gradual integration (integrim gradual) before formal membership in areas such as energy, transport and economic cooperation. The intention is to generate more immediate tangible benefits (përfitime konkrete) for citizens while governments continue completing the much longer formal accession process.
This approach also places responsibility on the European Union itself to prepare for additional members. On October 6, only days after von der Leyen’s Tirana visit, the Commission presented proposals intended to prepare EU policies, governance and the budget for future enlargement (zgjerim). The proposals seek stronger safeguards against democratic backsliding (prapakthim demokratik) after countries become members. They demonstrate that enlargement involves institutional adaptation (përshtatje institucionale) on both sides rather than requiring candidate countries alone to change.
The financial dimension of accession can also help Albania strengthen its administrative ability to implement increasingly complex rules. European financing can support greater capacity (kapacitet) in infrastructure, digital services and public administration. However, governments also require sufficient absorption capacity (kapacitet përthithës) to plan projects and use available money efficiently. Weak procurement or administrative systems can otherwise create bottlenecks (pengesa strukturore) even when substantial European resources have already been allocated.
Von der Leyen’s visit also included a highly visible example of practical European support unrelated to formal negotiating chapters. On October 1, she visited the Emin Duraku school in Tirana, which had been rebuilt after damage caused by the 2019 earthquake. Through the EU for Schools programme, 63 schools were reconstructed or renovated (rinovuar) with European support. The visit demonstrated how European solidarity (solidaritet) can produce visible results that citizens experience directly rather than only through institutional negotiations.
Projects such as reconstructed schools are politically important because EU integration can otherwise appear highly technical to ordinary citizens. Tangible investments give accession a more concrete dimension (dimension) by connecting European cooperation with classrooms, infrastructure and public services. Such projects can increase public awareness (ndërgjegjësim) of what financial cooperation with the European Union provides. They can also strengthen the social constituency (bazë mbështetëse) for continued reforms when citizens see practical benefits associated with closer European integration.
The Albanian government continues to present the end of the decade as the political horizon for full EU membership. Such ambitions create strong urgency (urgjencë) but cannot replace the technical requirements of accession. The process remains subject to verification (verifikim) by the European Commission and unanimous political decisions at crucial stages by EU member states. Continued reform therefore requires administrative endurance (qëndresë institucionale) across several years rather than a short burst of legislative activity.
The most difficult reforms may increasingly concern implementation rather than legislation. Albania must demonstrate durable independence (pavarësi) of judicial institutions and credible results against corruption and organised crime. Electoral reform and media freedom require similar institutionalisation (institucionalizim) so that standards survive changes of government or political leadership. European institutions ultimately look for irreversibility (pakthyeshmëri) because reforms that can easily be undone provide a weak basis for permanent membership.
The Commission President’s message in Tirana was consequently both optimistic and demanding. Albania has moved into the vanguard (pararojë) of the current enlargement process and has achieved negotiating milestones that appeared much further away only a few years ago. Yet the remaining stage will require greater discipline (disiplinë) because each open chapter contains obligations that must function in practice. The central challenge is converting rapid political progress (përparim) into institutions and standards durable enough to operate permanently inside the European Union.
Von der Leyen’s September visit therefore reflected an accession process that has entered a more concrete phase. Albania is no longer focused primarily on obtaining the right to negotiate but on demonstrating the maturity (pjekuri) required to close negotiations successfully. European financial assistance provides additional leverage (shtysë) for reform, while roadmaps create clearer expectations regarding the work still ahead. Whether the country can maintain its present momentum (vrull) will determine how quickly the goal described by von der Leyen as being within sight can become actual EU membership.
Key Albanian Vocabulary
vrull momentum
arritje reach
kushtëzim conditionality
vende kandidate candidates
ecuri trajectory
zbatim implementation
hapur opened
pikë referimi milestone
bilanc rezultatesh track record
standarde ndërmjetëse benchmarks
sundim i ligjit rule of law
ritëm pace
reformë reform
konsolidim consolidation
detyrim obligation
përafrim alignment
zbatim detyrues enforcement
shqyrtim scrutiny
dialog dialogue
pluralizëm pluralism
legjitimitet legitimacy
konvergjencë convergence
instrument financiar Facility
kushte reformash reform conditions
disbursime disbursements
nxitje incentive
financim i bazuar në performancë performance-based financing
mjedis ekonomik environment
përbërës components
mjedis mediatik media environment
udhërrëfyes roadmap
parashikueshmëri predictability
llogaridhënie accountability
i bazuar në meritë merit-based
zbatim praktik application
paketë anëtarësimi package
prerogativë prerogative
besueshmëri credibility
besueshmëri strategjike strategic credibility
domosdoshmëri gjeopolitike geopolitical imperative
integrim gradual gradual integration
përfitime konkrete tangible benefits
zgjerim enlargement
prapakthim demokratik backsliding
përshtatje institucionale institutional adaptation
kapacitet capacity
kapacitet përthithës absorption capacity
pengesa strukturore bottlenecks
rinovuar renovated
solidaritet solidarity
dimension dimension
ndërgjegjësim awareness
bazë mbështetëse constituency
urgjencë urgency
verifikim verification
qëndresë institucionale endurance
pavarësi independence
institucionalizim institutionalisation
pakthyeshmëri irreversibility
pararojë vanguard
disiplinë discipline
përparim progress
pjekuri maturity
shtysë leverage
