Merz calls for continued EU enlargement; Ramabaja: Albania joining before Serbia would shift regional balances and bring opportunities for Kosovo

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the European Union enlargement process to continue, describing the protests in Albania and the region as a signal of the importance of advancing it.

During the Berlin Process Summit in Miločer, near Budva in Montenegro, Merz condemned the violence and warned that political polarization and divisive rhetoric are obstacles to building a safer and more prosperous Europe. He said that the protests taking place in Albania and beyond show that EU enlargement must continue.

At the meeting, Western Balkan leaders and European Union representatives discussed the region’s European integration, reforms, and increased cooperation among countries.

Merz stressed that membership must be based on merit and concrete reforms. According to him, the European Union has fulfilled its own responsibilities, while candidate states must demonstrate political will and meet the required conditions.

Professor and doctor Sadri Ramabaja, in a statement to the newspaper “Bota sot,” said that Merz’s remarks within the framework of the Berlin Process bring attention back to the link between democracy, internal reforms, and Albania’s European path. He assessed that civic protests can exert pressure for the democratization of institutions, while Albania’s EU membership before Serbia would have strategic importance for the Albanians of the Western Balkans and Kosovo.

Ramabaja referred to the German chancellor’s statements on October 22, 2026, during the Berlin Process meeting. According to him, Merz called for the continuation of enlargement and simultaneously emphasized the importance of reforms and the obligation of candidate countries to meet membership criteria.

The professor said that the chancellor’s position should be examined not only as a diplomatic matter, but also in relation to the state of democracy in Albania and the relationship between political power and the country’s European project.

According to Ramabaja, integration should not be tied to the continuity of any particular government. He described it as a process of building democratic institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and meeting European standards.

Ramabaja stressed that EU membership is not the property of any government, nor a tool to justify its hold on power. According to him, this process aims to transform the state and society, and therefore requires functional institutions, an independent judiciary, a determined fight against corruption, and public accountability. Progress, he added, must be judged by the results of concrete reforms and not by the political declarations of governments.

The professor pointed out that this distinction helps to understand the importance of civic protests in Albania. They do not, he said, automatically guarantee acceleration of membership, but they can create a climate in which institutions are forced to respond to citizens’ demands.

Speaking about the protests against Edi Rama’s government, Ramabaja said that their importance does not lie solely in opposing the current governance. According to him, at the center are demands for law enforcement, the fight against corruption, institutions freed from political influence, and public accountability.

He assessed that protests can serve as an instrument of democratic pressure if they demand justice, democracy, the fight against corruption, and accountability. They do not automatically bring EU membership, but they can force institutions to address the obstacles slowing down the process. If civic pressure leads to concrete reforms, improves the functioning of the state, and results meet European criteria, protests can indirectly but significantly help Albania’s advancement toward the European Union, he told “Bota sot.”

Ramabaja warned that membership negotiations should not be assessed solely on the basis of opening or closing chapters. Technical progress, according to him, does not necessarily prove that institutions have been fundamentally transformed.

He said that Albania needs an integration process that brings visible changes in the work of the judiciary, institutional independence, the fight against corruption, and the protection of citizens’ rights.

Ramabaja also described the geopolitical aspect as important. In his assessment, Albania’s EU membership, especially if it happens before Serbia’s, would affect the strategic position of both states in the Western Balkans.

Membership would make Albania a direct part of European decision-making mechanisms and would give it a greater role in policies on security, economic development, and regional stability, the professor said.

According to Ramabaja, by becoming an EU member before Serbia, Albania would move from candidate country status to that of a member state. This would enable it to participate in European decision-making and to influence common policies more, strengthening its institutional and diplomatic weight and bringing a new reality to regional relations.

However, he underlined that such a scenario should not be understood as Albania’s automatic superiority over Serbia. The importance, according to him, is the strengthening of Albania’s European position and the opportunity to defend its interests through common EU mechanisms.

Professor Sadri Ramabaja said that accelerating Albania’s integration would have impact beyond Tirana, being of importance also for Kosovo and the Albanians of the region.

He assessed that Albania’s membership would create new opportunities for political, economic, and institutional cooperation with Kosovo and would strengthen the latter’s connection with European structures.

Ramabaja added that membership would open the way for more advanced forms of cooperation and would give Albania additional opportunities to contribute to issues affecting the common interests of Albanians in the Western Balkans.

For Kosovo, he said, Albania’s EU membership would have particular strategic weight, creating opportunities for economic, political, and institutional cooperation and strengthening the connection of the region’s Albanians with the European space. He added that more sustained coordination between Tirana and Pristina is needed for these opportunities to turn into concrete benefits. The weight of the Albanian factor can be increased through integration and institutional cooperation, but this does not happen automatically and does not replace coordinated policy or state responsibility, Ramabaja said.

He stressed that relations between Albania and Kosovo must be built on long-term cooperation, strategic coordination, and concrete projects. According to him, one should not expect that one side’s membership will automatically solve the other side’s challenges.

Albania’s integration, Ramabaja assessed, can create more favorable circumstances for Kosovo. However, the latter must also meet the criteria, strengthen its institutions, and engage continuously in diplomacy to advance on the European path.

In conclusion, Ramabaja said that political developments in Albania must be seen in light of the challenge of building a democratic state that meets European standards and contributes to regional stability.

According to him, Friedrich Merz’s message is that EU enlargement continues to matter, but the responsibility for candidate countries’ progress cannot be left to European institutions.

Ramabaja described Albania’s integration as a democratic, developmental, and geopolitical project. He said that acceleration must be based on merit and real reforms, so that institutions are strengthened, civic trust increases, and conditions are created for a more stable position for Albania in the region. Europe, according to him, should not serve as a political shield for any government, but as a standard for measuring power. Protests demanding the implementation of democratic norms can spur internal change and, if translated into concrete reforms, bring Albania closer to its European goal, he concluded for the newspaper “Bota sot.”