“BULLSHIT” – Albanian Opposition Leader slams Mogherini’s promises of EU membership as ‘bullshit’

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Albania’s Opposition leader Lulzim Basha has slammed promises of accession membership talks by EU Chief Diplomat Federica Mogherini as mere ‘BULLSHIT’, during a speech this morning in Tirana.

Addressing opposition daily crowds at his ‘Freedom Square’ protest tent in front of the prime minister’s office in Tirana’s main boulevard, Democratic Party Chairman Lulzim Basha said that statements that the ‘Vetting’ process is the only condition for EU membership is ‘bullshit’.

“You all know this very well. European personalities came here and made it clear to Albanians that without free and fair elections, without fighting organized crime, drugs and corruption, without true justice, the doors of Europe will not be opened for Albania. You heard it, the whole world heard it – and now they tell us that if you do the ‘Vetting’ process we will open accession talks. In Albanian we call this ‘Broçkulla’ in English it is ‘Bullshit’,” – said Basha then asking the crowd to chant ‘bullshit’ repeatedly.

VIDEO – Speech of Albanian Opposition head Lulzim Basha this morning in Tirana

The statement marks another turn in the Albanian opposition democrat’s strategy to not give into the luring invitation of Prime Minister Edi Rama to sit down and talk on a way back into Parliament.

DP chief Basha said to his militants that there’s no accession talks, no negotiations , only talks to determine the departure of Rama and the future of a technical government.

“This republic will be torn down at any price and the first step is a technical government. If you are ready to hear the voice of the citizens you should step aside in favor of a technical government. The popular wave will surround you and will bring you down” said an angry Basha to PM Rama who earlier had refused to sit down to discuss the option of stepping down.

A day earlier, at a news conference with host Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana, and after meeting with opposition leader Lulzim Basha, the EU High Rep Federica Mogherini stated that “We are ready to launch negotiations at the moment that the justice reform starts its application”, creating the impression that if the democrats come back to parliament to vote the ‘vetting’ structures, accession talks for EU membership would open by the end of this year.

Albania was granted EU candidate status in 2014. A huge constitutional package approved last July with consensus in Parliament has pabed the way for a total overhaul of the country’s highly corrupt justice system. A crucial vetting process of its judges and prosecutors is about to start in coming weeks.