At a time when the government's propaganda fireworks are being lit at maximum for the "historic" success in Brussels, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, has inadvertently taken a cold shower of reality. Through a post full of dates and self-assessments, Hoxha has openly revealed the detail that is being passed over in silence: the first three chapters are only temporarily closed.
In Brussels parlance, this "temporariness" is the clearest proof that the EU is not content with enthusiastic speeches and cut ribbons. What is sold in Tirana as final success, on the desks of European bureaucrats is simply a conditional exam. The EU requires continuous testing and, above all, in this game the rules are clear: those chapters that are closed today, can be reopened again tomorrow if the reforms remain only on paper. The party continues, but on condition that it is not forgotten that "success" has an expiration date that depends entirely on strict monitoring.
Below is Minister Hoxha's full post:
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, post on X:
Some key dates that tell the impressive story of an extraordinary journey:
October 14, 2024 – Albania had not opened any negotiation chapters.
November 17, 2025 – Albania had opened all 33 negotiation chapters.
May 26, 2026 – Albania became the first negotiating country to achieve #IBAR according to the new methodology.
July 14, 2026 – Albania enters the final phase of negotiations by temporarily closing the first three chapters:
Chapter 25 – Scientific Research Chapter 26 – Education and Culture Chapter 30 – Foreign Relations
What seem like dates on a timeline are in fact historical moments that reflect an extraordinary transformation, the result of hard work, genuine and sustained institutional commitment, strong determination, and unwavering political will.
When ambition matches outcome, progress becomes possible, visible, measurable, real.
The "expansion wall" is changing again.
