Albania’s EU Accession Sprint: Balancing Momentum, Reform, and EU Scrutiny
- Albania’s EU accession is advancing rapidly, backed by strong public support within Albania, geopolitical alignment, and PM Rama’s active diplomacy
- Key reforms remain pending and require broader inclusion of civil society, local governments, the private sector, and the political opposition
- Stronger domestic ownership and more rigorous EU scrutiny are needed to ensure credible, lasting progress as Albania enters a decisive phase of accession
This policy brief outlines the main conclusions of a factfinding mission to Tirana on 5 – 7 October 2025, that was jointly conducted by experts from four European think tanks: The Clingendael Institute, Carnegie Europe, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), and the Jacques Delors Institute. The mission was organised by the Jacques Delors Institute.
Albania has emerged as one of the most rapidly advancing EU candidate countries, having opened all negotiation clusters and aiming to complete talks by 2027. Its progress is driven by strong geopolitical alignment, broad public support, and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s active engagement with EU leaders. Yet rapid advancement masks notable challenges.
Albania’s limited political pluralism and modest EU accession engagement from civil society, the private sector and local governments raise concerns about the sustainability and inclusiveness of reforms. Key reforms on media regulation, judicial reform, environmental protection and public procurement are still pending. This policy brief assesses Albania’s political dynamics and reform trajectory. It argues that insufficient EU due diligence on key reforms risks weakening the EU’s transformative power. Ensuring credible progress requires stronger domestic ownership and more rigorous and sincere EU assessments as Albania enters a decisive phase of accession
Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama recently visited the Clingendael Institute, where he engaged in a candid conversation with report author Wouter Zweers and an audience consisting of students, journalists, policymakers and researchers. Topics such as Albania’s EU candidate status, the country’s role in NATO, organised crime and migration were discussed.
You can watch the highlights of the conversation here:
