Varhelyi Applauds the Constitutional Court Appointment: Albania Meets Conditions for EU Talks

exit.al 23 Dhjetor 2020, 21:57

European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi has applauded the appointment of the sixth Constitutional Court member by President Ilir Meta on Wednesday.

He said that with the court now functional, Albanian has met the last item in the list of conditions set by the European leaders before it sits in EU talks.

https://twitter.com/OliverVarhelyi/status/1341824010775121920

Albania’s Constitutional Court has not been functional since 2018. Now it has six of its nine members, and is able to form the necessary quorum for decision making.

The country’s next step in the EU accession process, namely the start of EU talks, depends on the assessment of achievements by all EU member states. A unanimous vote is needed for Albania to start talks. 

Despite the European Commission’s positive reports on Albania during recent years, the European leaders have not agreed to allow the country to sit in talks.

EU and US representatives in Albania were quick to congratulate its leaders for “urgently” filling two seats of the Constitutional Court this week, but they did not address concerns that the process may have been in violation of the Constitution and law. The same concerns have not been addressed by Albanian leaders either.