Sunday, September 25, 2022

The potential and challenges of integration in a troubled Europe was at the main focus of the second national course of the Albania School of Political Studies, which took place on 23-25 September at hotel Portik, in Berat. The international security expert, Alexis Vahlas, professor at University of Strasbourg and former senior political advisor to the NATO Joint Force Command in Naples, was invited to the course with a view to addressing the new challenges facing the EU: Russian aggression, Islamic radicalization and immigration waves. The discussion with the participants gave a clearer picture of the EU's internal problems as well as the possible measures to cope with these new threats, which have an impact on the wave of populism and the further closure of the EU.  

Mr. Gledis Gjipali, Director of the European Movement in Albania, presented “Albania's current path towards the EU and the pre-accession mechanism”, together with further steps over opening negotiations with the European Union. The regional economic cooperation initiatives, in more details the “Open Balkan”, were presented by Mr. Enton Duro, full-time lecturer in macroeconomics and development economics, University of Tirana.

The presentation and discussion with the former deputy minister of European Integration, Mr. Gentian Elezi, provided a brief history of challenges of Albanian integration process and the potential for democratization of the society towards integration.

Participants highly evaluated the information and expertise provided on the topics on these moment of opening of accession negotiation and an enlargement fatigue by EU, for understanding and transmitting to other peers in the country the process and the importance of EU integration reforms for internal economic and social development of the country.