Amendments tabled by the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group to the European Parliament's 2025 Commission report on Albania argue that the country is not a credible candidate for EU membership due to severe economic underperformance and a significant irregular migration problem. The amendments, published on 9 June 2026, seek to reframe the debate from one of progress and reform to one of fundamental incompatibility with EU standards.
The two amendments, both proposed by the ESN group, challenge the premise of Albania's accession process. Amendment 1 introduces a new paragraph highlighting that Albania's GDP per capita in 2024 was less than one-sixth of the EU average, ranking it last among all candidate countries. It concludes that such a development gap would lead to "considerable financial transfers at the expense of Member States," reframing economic disparity as a direct fiscal burden on existing members rather than a challenge to be addressed through cohesion policy.
Amendment 2 cites Eurostat data showing 23,380 Albanian nationals in an irregular situation in the EU in 2025, placing Albania in the top 10 nationalities. It declares this situation "incompatible with the conditions for a credible accession to the EU," elevating irregular migration from a law-enforcement concern to a fundamental political obstacle to membership.
The ESN group's position is uniformly negative and skeptical, diverging from the likely pro-accession consensus of larger mainstream groups such as the EPP, S&D, and Renew, which typically focus on rule of law, anti-corruption, and alignment with the EU acquis. The ESN's focus on GDP per capita and illegal migration represents a hard-line, cost-benefit and security-focused critique not standard in mainstream EP reports.
No amendments from other political groups have been tabled, making it impossible to compare positions. The amendments do not propose constructive reforms to the accession process but instead present data points intended to halt or significantly delay it.
The report, drafted by Andreas Schieder (S&D, Austria), is scheduled for a plenary vote. The amendments will be debated and voted on as part of the report's adoption. The Council and Commission will take note of the Parliament's position, though the accession process remains intergovernmental, with member states holding the final say on opening and closing negotiation chapters.
Stakeholders impacted include Albanian authorities, who face a more skeptical European Parliament; EU member states, particularly net contributors who may see the fiscal argument as supporting their position; and Albanian citizens, who could face prolonged accession timelines. The amendments also affect EU institutions, as the Parliament's stance could influence the Commission's annual progress assessments and the Council's political decisions on enlargement.
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