Albanian opposition party accuses government of ignoring EU advice

TIRANA, Albania – The opposition Socialist Party (SP) accused the government on Wednesday (March 25th) of failing to respect the EU’s advice about applying for candidate status.

SP member Arta Dade, a former foreign minister, said the cabinet should heed the Union’s advice put forth by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn to guarantee the elections in June are democratic, before submitting an application for EU candidacy.

Rehn urged Albania on Tuesday to prove it is implementing its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the Union before applying.