Vice chairman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag Johann David Wadephul has reacted after the latest political developments in Albania where the parliamentary Commission of Laws passed the constitutional changes for a partial opening of the electoral lists and the ban of pre-electoral coalitions, violating like this the compromise reached in the Political Council with the non-parliamentary opposition.

“Both these changes, if passed by the parliament, would be a serious violation of the agreement of June 5 and January 14”, Wadephul said. “The constitutional modification would undermine the whole electoral reform and eliminate it. Practically it means the Albanian parliament would invalidate the electoral reform reached in the June 5 agreement”.

“The German Bundestag will not approve the first cross-government conference and the opening of membership negotiations as long as the agreement of June 5 is not approved by the parliament without any changes and without any constitutional modifications that undermine this agreement”.

Statement of Johan Wadephul, deputy chair of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Fraction in the Bundestag

“The government and opposition have drafted a good electoral law reform with the agreement of June 5 and the agreements based on it. This electoral law reform must now be adopted by Parliament without changes, as laid down in the agreement of January 14, 2020. Then the demand made by the EU and the German Bundestag would be met to approve an electoral reform in an all- inclusive process between government and opposition - including the extra-parliamentary opposition.
 
However, we are now hearing about decisions in Parliament to change the agreements of June 5 and the constitution, with the aim that party coalitions should no longer be allowed before the elections.
 
Both changes, if approved by Parliament, would be a serious violation of the June 5 and the ?January 14? agreements.
 
Furthermore, the constitutional change would also undermine the entire electoral law reform and thus nullify it.
 
In practice, this would mean that the Albanian Parliament would annul the electoral reform achieved by the June 5 agreement.
 
This would put the Albanian Parliament and its government majority, including the Prime Minister, against the decision of all EU heads of state and government in March this year, and would specifically call into question Albania's EU perspective.
 
In addition, such an approach would be an immense breach of trust in the EU, the OSCE and the other international actors who have made a significant contribution to the achieving of a good electoral law reform.
 
The German Bundestag will not approve a first intergovernmental conference and accession negotiations until the agreement of June 5 has been adopted by Parliament without any change and without constitutional changes that undermine this agreement.
 
I therefore appeal to the colleagues in the Albanian Parliament:
 
Take a big step towards strengthening democracy in your country and adopt the electoral law reform as laid down in the agreement of June 5. And withdraw from the planned constitutional change that would destroy the electoral law reform. Only then you will still have the strong support of the German Bundestag. 
 
Therefore: do not put into question the EU perspective of your country! The Albanian people do not deserve this! ”