Not yet. Only in June 2014 Albania received the official status as a candidate for accession to the EU. Now the negotiations will start for real, and this process usually takes years.

Travelling through Albania, one might however gain a different impression. Whether out of anticipation or out of self-confidence, the EU flag already flies in front of public buildings.

Nice to see that the EU still has a positive appeal. Don’t listen to all the crisis talk! If you want to understand Europe, you have to travel more instead of reading British tabloids or attending UKIP rallies.

(The photo shows the police station of Vlora in July 2014. – Klicken Sie hier, um diesen Beitrag auf Deutsch zu lesen.)