23 June 2009 | Bloggers are frustrated with the government's inability to meet EU reform benchmarks, leading to Albania's exclusion from visa-free travel this year. Others blame the EU for an unfair decision.

he EU decision this week to exclude Albania from the list of countries eligible for visa-free travel is a tough pill to swallow.. It comes days before the country's parliamentary elections.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha has said visa liberalisation is Albania's number two priority after NATO membership.

Albania was scrapped from the list because inadequate progress has been made in issuing biometric passports and controlling borders, as well as in other reforms.

While most bloggers were quick to point a finger at the government, a vocal minority thinks the EU decision is unfair.

Albanian bloggers debate the issue [all links lead to blogs and comments in Albanian]:

Ergys at Shekulli directs the ire squarely at Albanian officials. "This is a failure of government," he says. "Instead of waving the flag of NATO, let them read this report of EU and feel responsible for this failure."

The bad news, argues Pjerr Thomas, is that Albanians will have to continue dealing with consular and border officials. "It is a failure not only for [the] Albanian government but for [the] whole administration and the Albanian state which leaves things in the hands of spontaneity and abusive officials," he says.

Bloggers call on others to rectify the situation. Anonymous says the "duty [of Albanians] is to say 'no' to all those that failed [us] these four years. And we, most of the Albanians, will say 'no' to Sali Berisha and his clan on June 28th because they deserve it 100%".

Musa however, disagrees, calling the EU's stand a "political decision and very unfair". He contrasts it with the decision to include Serbia for visa liberalisation. "How is it possible that Serbia fulfills the conditions when it is well-known that not long ago it carried out four aggressions and two genocides, and war criminals are at large on its territory?"

Others worry about the social effects of the EU decision. xx argues "if Europe wants Albania to have to do [away] with crime, drugs and prostitution across the continent, it should give Albanians the possibility to travel freely."

But ultimately, Patriot argues, Albanians need to clean house themselves and shed the remnants of communist ways. Only then could Albanians join the European family.

MNAX says, "If the elections are fair and have high standards, I believe our country will reach the level of its neighbours."

*This text is courtesy of the Southeast European Times (SET), a web site sponsored by the US Department of Defense in support of UN Resolution 1244, designed to provide an international audience with a portal to a broad range of information about Southeastern Europe. It highlights movement toward greater regional stability and steps governments take toward integration into European institutions. SET also focuses on developments that hinder both terrorist activity and support for terrorism in the region.

Read more about Albania on BalkanTravellers.com