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🇦🇹 Austria /Elections & Politics

Albania’s Rama: “Europe is like the Titanic heading for the iceberg”

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Edi Rama criticized the European Union for slow decisions and urged it to accelerate the accession of Western Balkan countries.
  • He said Europe faced technological and demographic challenges and argued that enlargement could strengthen its resources and workforce.
  • Rama also called for changes to the EU veto system, gradual access to the single market and closer cooperation with Italy.

Edi Rama compared Europe to the Titanic, saying it was listening to beautiful music while continuing toward the iceberg. The Albanian prime minister used the image at the TEHA economic forum in Cernobbio to criticize what he described as the European Union’s slow decisions and hesitation.

Rama said Europe was falling further behind in technology. Four of the world’s five most important technologies, he argued, were not produced in Europe. He also pointed to Europe’s limited presence among the world’s leading universities and said the EU would struggle to achieve strategic independence within its borders for critical raw materials.

We hear beautiful music while the Titanic does not change course and the iceberg is in front of us.

· Edi RamaRama criticized the EU’s slow decisions and hesitant approach at the TEHA economic forum.

He presented the accession of the Western Balkan states as one possible way to change that situation. Albania, he said, has substantial copper deposits. His government is currently holding back investors from China and other countries while waiting for European investment.

Immediately to the table of the European Union.

· Edi RamaRama said the seven Western Balkan countries in the accession process should be brought into closer EU decision-making.

Rama called for the seven countries already in the EU accession process to be brought “immediately to the table of the European Union.” He said Albania’s progress was repeatedly being pushed back and warned that enlargement would remain difficult unless the rules on vetoes changed. As an alternative, he suggested gradually integrating candidate countries into the EU single market.

He also proposed offering young people from other countries the chance to study in Europe and receive a European passport after graduation. Rama linked the idea to Europe’s shrinking working-age population. On migration, he called for a balance between combating illegal arrivals and responding to demographic change, saying Europe could not rely on generous but ineffective measures to increase birth rates.

It is very frustrating.

· Edi RamaRama described Albania’s repeated setbacks on its path toward EU membership.

Rama praised Italy as a close partner, calling it “the great love.” Asked whether he liked Italian right-wing politician Roberto Vannacci, he replied, “Why should he appeal to me, when I like Giorgia?” He then described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as beautiful and very good.

Why should he appeal to me, when I like Giorgia?

· Edi RamaRama jokingly answered a question about Italian politician Roberto Vannacci while praising Giorgia Meloni.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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