By: Luiza Hoxhaj
In a turbulent period for
Europe, the European Union's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans emerges as a
long-awaited intervention, aiming to reinvigorate a stalled enlargement process
and to restore faith in the region’s European path. More than a financial aid
package, this plan is a reality check for the EU’s foreign policy and a test of
the region’s political will to undertake the deep and necessary reforms.
At the heart of the plan
lies the idea of partial and accelerated integration into the EU’s single
market, offering access to areas such as transport, energy, digital trade, and
services—before full membership is realized. This innovative model seeks to
overcome enlargement fatigue and provide concrete benefits to citizens and
businesses, while also increasing positive pressure for reform.
Financial support is
closely tied to progress in reforms, especially in the rule of law, judicial
independence, public administration efficiency, and anti-corruption efforts. It
comes with strong conditionality and strict monitoring mechanisms to ensure
effective and fair use of funds.
Economically, the Growth
Plan offers a real opportunity to transform the economic structures of Western
Balkan countries, which have long struggled with low productivity, limited
investment, and dependency on remittances or foreign aid. Closer access to the
EU market could stimulate foreign direct investment (FDI) and attract European
companies seeking alternative, closer, and more stable locations—a process
known as nearshoring.
Moreover, embracing the
green and digital agendas would place the region on a more long-term
development trajectory, aligned with the EU’s own new strategic priorities.
However, the plan faces
major challenges. First, while welcomed, the available funds are significantly
lower than those received by EU member states in Eastern Europe. This may
weaken the plan’s incentive effect and fuel perceptions of unequal treatment in
the region.
Second, the implementation
of reforms requires institutional capacities that are not guaranteed in many
Western Balkan countries. The past two decades have shown that political will
is often inconsistent, while institutions remain fragile and subject to
political interference. There is a risk that reforms will be
superficial—implemented formally only to gain access to funds.
Another risk is the
over-technocratization of the process, turning the plan into a matter for
experts and bureaucrats rather than a shared political project that inspires
society.
For the Growth Plan to
succeed, it must be backed by sincere commitment from political leaders in the
region, but just as importantly, by the engagement of civil society and other
non-governmental actors. Only if citizens witness concrete improvements in
their daily lives—higher standards, visible anti-corruption results, and
broader inclusion in decision-making—can this plan create a positive momentum
for sustainable transformation.
For Albania, the Growth
Plan represents an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate the reform of its
economic model and to strengthen its ties with the EU. Albania finds itself at
a critical juncture: it has formally opened accession negotiations; is
experiencing increased investment in tourism and energy; and urgently needs
reforms in justice, public administration, and local governance.
If Albania succeeds in
structuring a clear, measurable, and inclusive reform agenda—developed jointly
with local and international stakeholders—it can position itself as one of the
most active beneficiaries of this plan. This requires stronger coordination
between central and local government, greater transparency in the use of funds,
and broader involvement of universities, businesses, and civil society
organizations.
But if this new window of
opportunity is not seized, Albania risks falling into yet another cycle of
unfulfilled promises and prolonged expectations.
The Growth Plan is more
than a development initiative: it is a political and strategic offer from the
EU to prevent fragmentation and to turn enlargement into a success story. But
its success will not be measured by the number of documents approved, but by
the changes citizens feel in their lives: more opportunities, less corruption,
stronger institutions, and a real sense that Europe is not just a distant
promise, but a concrete project happening now.
