15 December 2025

Clingendael, Carnegie Europe, Jacques Delors Institute, DGAP

A new policy brief, by Wouter Zweers et all, 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’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

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

You can access the report here: Albania’s EU Accession Sprint: Balancing Momentum, Reform, and EU Scrutiny by Wouter Zweers, Dimitar Bechev, Iliriana Gjoni, Iliriana Gjoni, Sébastien Maillard, Milan Nič, Nikola Xaviereff, December 2025, Clingendael