Prime Minister Edi Rama was in Slovenia today, where he participated in the works of the Bled Strategic Forum, a global and inclusive platform for generating ideas and exchanging views on contemporary society and its future.

The Prime Minister was invited to the leaders’ panel, where the topic “A World of Parallel Realities” was discussed, together with the Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob, the Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic, and the Prime Minister of Serbia Milos Vucevic, moderated by journalist and TV presenter Ali Aslan.

The panel was initiated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who welcomed the guests.

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Ali Aslan, Moderator: I am very pleased to host four strong and distinguished leaders from the region on this panel. Please welcome the Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob, the Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic, the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, and the Prime Minister of Serbia Milos Vucevic. Always a pleasure to see you. It’s great to have you all here with us. Prime Minister Rama, whenever we are on stage together, things go viral, which is why they placed me next to you.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: It’s because we both have Turkish roots.

– There we have it. Prime Minister Rama, your country has started—or rather, the EU has started negotiations with your country.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: The United States?

– No, not the United States, the EU. I said the US. Today, I feel like I’m…

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Because you work for them!

– I used to work for CNN and ABC News.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Once you work for them, you always work for them.

– I’ll have to check on that. The payments didn’t reach me last month. I’ll have to look into it!

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Be careful—when the payment doesn’t come, something bad might.

– I’m in good company here.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Sure, yes, yes. They control security here. It’s an independent country.

– Prime Minister, let’s get back on track if we can for just a second, and to the topic of EU enlargement.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First of all, I said it a few days ago in Prague, and I’ll say it here too. When you invite people from the Balkans, don’t place timers in front of us because that’s very German—it’s not to my liking.

– The Slovenians placed them, not the Germans.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: And they are very German. But you, Ali Aslan, being too German isn’t a good thing. That’s why the Americans recruited you so easily.

– I see how my reputation is going to be “destroyed,” thanks to you.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, no, now it’s better for you. They’ll invite you more.

– Prime Minister, this is the second attempt to return to the right topic. We will have a full-time Commissioner responsible for enlargement, something you’ve been advocating for many years, and it is good news.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I felt encouraged because I recently heard someone else—in this case, someone speaking on behalf of a member state—say something that I’ve been saying from day one when it comes to opening up the Balkans: that this is the “diligent work” of Vladimir Putin. It was Vladimir Putin who had to invade a country to help the EU understand that it lives in a parallel world, which is also the title of this forum, right? These parallel worlds are now coming closer, and what Ursula said is absolutely true and also very encouraging because, a year ago here in Bled, she promised the New Growth Plan, and now this New Growth Plan is on the right track, and we are hopeful that more things will happen. Meanwhile, we have to do all the neurotic work to be considered ready to join the European Union, but we need to gain more instruments and enter different areas of the European Union, which, before this New Growth Plan, was something prohibited for us. This is a moment where I feel—well, to feel positive.

– For the European Union, it’s true. Naturally, Albania has been steadfast in its desire to become an EU member, and naturally, if we hadn’t had the Russian aggression against Ukraine, this moment wouldn’t have been the way it is.

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– Prime Minister, to conclude this perspective on Russia-Ukraine, your country, like Slovenia and many others on this continent…

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Does that mean we like Slovenia, or we’re like Slovenia?

– Of course, you like them. We love them. Clearly, you appreciate Slovenia and the Bled Forum, but more importantly, just like Slovenia or other European countries, you have been clear about your support for Ukraine. You have signed partnership treaties with President Zelensky himself, and you have naturally mentioned your country’s history. Does this support for Ukraine stem from your history?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, from our history, we have learned that in Russia, the music never changes; the melody never changes, and this is also true in the history of the Russian anthem, which we had the opportunity to talk about because when Stalin wanted the anthem’s lyrics, he needed something very strong, very brutal. Then, when Khrushchev came along and thought that some things needed to change and Stalin should be sidelined, he asked the same author of the anthem to write new lyrics. Later, when Yeltsin came, we no longer had the Soviet Union, and the same author, who was quite old, was asked to write yet another set of lyrics. Then Putin wanted different lyrics, but the melody, the music, remained the same. We learned this firsthand because we weren’t like everyone else here; we were completely isolated, both from the West and the East—we were the North Korea of Europe.

And being clear is how we function. We were clear about the Ottoman Empire, even after the Turks themselves decided it wasn’t a good idea anymore. We were clear about Stalin, even when the Russians decided he wasn’t a good idea anymore. We will be just as clear when it comes to our partnership with the EU and the US, even when the US and the EU decide it’s not a good idea anymore.

We fully stand with Ukraine for a very simple reason: it seems surreal, beyond reality, that in our time, a country in Europe could change borders in a brutal way, by force, taking what it claims is a piece or part of itself. It’s impossible to imagine. Nevertheless, we are fully aware that we are too small to change anyone’s fate. We tried for 50 years to be the center of the world, and it wasn’t a good idea, so we are very proud that we are now aligned with our partners and friends, fully alongside the US like you, and naturally the EU. For us, it’s very clear—there’s no gray area in between; it’s black and white.

I want to add something that I truly don’t understand when it comes to democratic countries—I’m talking about the big democracies, not us—and it’s this thing that we keep repeating and repeating: “Russian interference, Russia here, Russia there.” I also heard the president of the Bled Forum say, “I believe in humanity,” yet when you see how the Russians are infiltrating everywhere through the tools we provide or give them for free, destroying our children every day, destroying the sense of community, the sense of communication, the very sense of democracy—and I’m talking about social media here—I no longer understand what it will take to realize that the way we are dealing with social media is the greatest asset that the Russians, the Iranians, or anyone else have. Look at TikTok in China—it’s a wonderful reality there. A place where you would want to live immediately. For us, our version of Chinese TikTok is hell on earth, and we call it freedom—I don’t know what we call it, but as long as we don’t realize that the freedom to spread doesn’t equate to freedom of speech, we will sabotage—and I will use a word the Russians love—we will sabotage the future in the name of something that I don’t understand. And I don’t think our parents were foolish, nor were generations of parents foolish, for asking their children to behave with manners, to think twice before speaking, not to reveal everything in public. I have the impression that the press wasn’t any less free when there was fact-checking, when there was no chance you could go out there and insult, abuse, and do all the terrible things to another human being just because you have a different opinion from him or her. I think this is where we are losing the plot—letting the Russians and everyone who doesn’t like our way of life enter freely into our fantastic space.

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– Certainly, Europe’s role that you rightly emphasized is to overcome historical differences, and this is a very important issue. For example, the fact that France and Germany came together after 1945 to lay the foundation of this union can serve as an example for other countries in the region, especially on a global stage like this, with issues such as climate and others that we cannot address if we have so many conflicts. Prime Minister Rama, a message for the younger generation?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: The clock shows 00-00, and now you ask me to give a message to the younger generation? Two minutes. No, I have to say very honestly that when I was very young, at the age of these people who raised their hands, I hated it when older people would tell me, “this is my message.” While you gave me time to think of an answer, I was thinking that all the best decisions I made in life were when I didn’t follow the advice of those who were older than me. So I wouldn’t be here, by the way, if I had listened to the messages of those older than me. That being said, I want to say something. The only difference I see, which is unfortunate compared to the time when I was their age, is that today’s youth have much less trust in politics, and they make a big mistake because when you think that politics is something you shouldn’t be involved in because it’s dirty, it’s bad, because it’s represented by people like those who have messages, you lose the purpose, you lose the argument; you can’t escape politics. Politics will always follow you. You have two options; you can either be there in the dark, raise your hand, receive the message, and applaud the message that you practically don’t understand, and then suffer the consequences of the decisions that politics makes, or you can step into the scene and engage with politics.

One of the greatest harms, and I will return to what I said about social media and all of this, is the discrediting of politics day after day; to say that everything politicians do is terrible, politicians are all the same, they are thieves, they are criminals, and to create the idea that there is a better life outside of politics. If the space of politics doesn’t improve, the space outside it will become much, much harder. To give you an illustration and to conclude because when you nod your head like that, I know you’re thinking of things you won’t say, and it’s better not to say them, look at what politics does when it’s not in the right position, what it’s doing in Ukraine. We must win, Ukraine must win, victory is the only option, then we’ll give you this weapon, but you can only use it in this direction and only for this distance; we’ll give you these types of bullets, but you can only use them for this purpose; we’ll give you this type of missile, but you have to throw it, but not in this direction. It’s like entering a football field, and you have to play against a very strong team, and you give your team one shoe, while the other foot is without a shoe, and then you say, “don’t use this, don’t use that.” Either we are fully on their side and give them everything they need and give it to them now instead of giving them a little more every time they suffer a significant blow, or we will find a way to do things together. But doing two things at once is practically causing as much harm as giving someone else opportunities. So this schizophrenia between values, principles, and political behavior based on many, many other reasons must end if we want Ukraine to win; otherwise, the time will come when it will be written in books, and the truth will be much more bitter than when you’re in an ecological room and pretending to win.

-Thank you very much for your powerful words.

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The speech of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen:

Prime Minister Golob, Robert, thank you very much for taking me to Crna this morning. I had the opportunity to visit Crna and return to Slovenia to witness the incredible beauty of Slovenia. I was there last year immediately after the devastating floods that are a consequence of climate change. It’s something we shouldn’t deceive ourselves about; we will see it more often, and it warmed my heart to see how much progress had been made compared to last year. Last year, destruction, ruin, everything covered in mud, people were desperate, of course. But today, rebuilding, recovery, cooperation, extraordinary people working side by side with solidarity is what I saw, and truly, know that Europe stands with you, and I was able to assure the residents of Crna and Slovenia, of course, that Europe will be by your side to work on recovery and rebuilding after these devastating floods. You can count on us. I’m very pleased to see Prime Minister Plenković here, dear Andrej, please, all Croats in the hall, applause. Prime Minister Rama, dear Edi, another round of applause. Prime Minister Vučević, we haven’t met in person yet, but we’ll have a bilateral meeting very soon. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, applause for her too.

This forum has turned into a tradition and is also a testament to Slovenia’s global leadership, the same leadership that we have all seen in action this year during your work in the United Nations Security Council. Secretary-General Guterres’ words speak for themselves on this. You have been an honest mediator in turbulent times, so congratulations to you, dear Robert, and your Foreign Minister, Ms. Fajon. You have made Slovenia stand out on the global stage. Congratulations on that!

The title of today’s Bled Forum is: “The World in Parallel Realities,” and yes, it is an assessment that wakes us up and has been made. It is a moment of fracture for the world, and one of those fractures has opened on our continent. Russia has decided to burn bridges with its European neighbors by invading an innocent country. Putin and his people have shown that they do not believe in a global order based on rules.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have been asked to focus on the Western Balkans, and I am very happy to do so. For years, for a long time, it has been a border between worlds, east-west, south-north. But the younger generations have chosen a different path. They have chosen to be part of a common European family. They have chosen to travel, trade together, and flourish together with European neighbors. The current Russian leadership, living in the past, refuses to accept this simple reality. Whenever there is progress toward reconciliation and regional integration in the Western Balkans, the Kremlin tries to stir the waters of old conflicts. Russia is constantly working to sow division within the Western Balkans and between the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe, but ladies and gentlemen, the overwhelming majority of people in the Western Balkans do not want fragmentation.

They want integration, and that’s what we must give them.

During the first mandate of the European Commission, enlargement returned to the top of our political agenda. Let’s be very clear. Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine is a turning point for Europe, like the one in 1989, even though we live in a different world, and we are obliged to reconceptualize our goals and policies. If we want to make Europe economically competitive and capable of defending itself, and if that is our core objective, then I see the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union as fundamentally important.

In the age of geopolitical rivalries, a larger European Union gives us a stronger voice in the world. A larger common market increases our competitiveness and, of course, our position as a trading partner. It gives us the tools to respond to blackmail and unfair competition. It gives us greater collective purchasing power. Enlargement is an investment in our collective strength and security.

In other words, if we want a strong, competitive, and secure Europe, this includes the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova in this European Union, and all those whose European aspirations align with their actions, and that’s why we have given new life to the enlargement process. We have started accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. We have started accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. Bosnia and Herzegovina could be next in line, and I want to expressly thank Slovenia for its tireless work on this. Thank you very much for this! You are truly a good friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It was this strategic reasoning that pushed us to reconceptualize our enlargement strategy and come up with the idea of gradual integration. Exactly one year ago, we presented the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, and the work has started to show its first results, and let’s stop for a moment and celebrate these achievements, for which you, the leaders of the Western Balkans, should be very proud.

Tirana is the fastest-growing airport in Europe. European companies are establishing themselves in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at a rapid pace. Kosovo’s economic reforms have been praised by the IMF and are bringing economic benefits. Investments in infrastructure in North Macedonia are a source of inspiration. Montenegro has just experienced an increase in its credit rating. By the end of the year, three of you could become part of the common payment space. This will lead to savings of over 500 million euros annually, once you are part of it.

Dear friends! It hasn’t even been a year since we formulated this objective. It is already a reality that is unfolding before us, and I believe you should be so proud of this. Congratulations on this work.

Later this month, our six partners will approve their reform agendas. They have identified several deep-impact reforms expected to start, ranging from justice system reforms, fighting corruption, public procurement, and integrating energy markets. These reform agendas are tied to €6 billion in European investments. Each reform will unlock new investments, making this growth plan similar to our recovery plan, the next generation of the EU, which means the principle is that reforms bring investments. Once all these reforms are carried out, each partner will receive as much assistance per capita as the Western Balkans would receive under the EU’s cohesion policy.

This is a very big step forward. But why is it so important?

It is so important because the EU is in the process of reinventing itself in a new geopolitical context, and we want our Western Balkan partners to be active participants in the conversation about the future of the EU. Since we have many friends here today from candidate countries in the audience, let me be very clear: I want our work to be accelerated even more. In the next commission, enlargement must become full-time work, enabling us to give it undivided attention. Therefore, I will appoint a dedicated commissioner for enlargement. Let us write the future together.

Our political will to integrate the countries of the region as quickly as possible comes alongside our unwavering determination that the EU is a community of democracies. Any compromise of our democratic principles would be fatal to achieving our objectives, whether by EU member states or Western Balkan countries.

Both sides will face tough choices. Bilateral issues must be resolved. EU integration will depend on making or taking difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions by governments. But this is the time we live in. Postponing decisions means making the wrong decisions. But making decisions, moving forward, shaping our future, and being the masters of our own fate—that is the essence of Europe. This is the challenge we must navigate and face in a fractured world.