When I think of Europe, I don’t envision a cold machinery of treaties or a tangled web of bureaucracies. I see a living civilisation, an idea that has weathered centuries, wars, and dreams. This civilisation—our civilisation—cannot be considered whole while it leaves its most delicate yet promise-laden frontier dangling, almost orphaned: the Western Balkans. Today, with a blend of pride and sober awareness, I can say that Italy is reclaiming its true self. Not a bit player, not just another voice in the chorus, but an authoritative leader, capable of charting the course with the strength of its history and the clarity of its vision. Our goal is unambiguous: by 2030, Albania, Serbia, and the entire Balkan quadrant must be fully integrated into the European Union. This is not a pipe dream—it is a necessity. And we Italians, with both heart and mind, are working to make it happen.

As Forza Italia’s Balkans Coordinator, I feel the weight and the honour of this mission on my shoulders. This is no time for half-measures or diplomatic timidity. Europe won’t be saved by vetoes or the petty calculations of those who only tend their own backyards. It will be saved by the courage of those who dare to build, who can see beyond the horizon of the present. And to build today means opening the door to the Balkans—not out of some abstract sense of charity, but because history demands it. An Europe without the Balkans is an incomplete Europe, and an Italy without a leading role in this process is an Italy that betrays its own essence.

Let’s look at the facts. Under the stewardship of Foreign Minister Tajani at the Farnesina, Italy has regained its firm and resonant voice. The Rome meeting with Balkan leaders was no mere summit, one of those tired rituals that clutter international calendars. It was a political act of rare potency—a signal that Italy refuses to remain a bystander in a Europe too often bogged down in chatter and minutiae. We’ve returned to centre stage, where our geography, our millennia-old culture, and our national interest have always placed us. This is a comeback tinged with redemption, but also with responsibility.

Consider Albania, a land so close we can almost feel its breath across the Adriatic. Our ties with its people stretch back through time—forged in trade, blood, and a familiarity no border can erase. Or take Serbia, with its complex history and still-fresh wounds, yet possessed of an extraordinary resilience and forward-looking spirit. These are nations that have trodden rough, often treacherous paths, but today they display a maturity and a will for Europeanisation that we cannot ignore. Guiding them on this journey isn’t a favour we’re granting them—it’s a duty we owe ourselves, a commitment to the stability of a region that is our own backyard.

The Albanian Elections of 11 May 2025: A Strategic Crossroads

In this context, the upcoming parliamentary elections in Albania on 11 May 2025 take on strategic significance—not just for the country itself, but for the entire region. These elections are a critical test of Albania’s democratic credibility and could profoundly shape its EU membership prospects. For the first time, Albanians abroad will cast their votes, a factor that could sway the outcome and reflects a broader push for inclusion and democratic engagement. Yet scrutiny will be intense on the role of organised crime and the misuse of state resources—shadows that have marred electoral transparency in the past. Given Italy’s historic ties and influence, we have a vital stake in ensuring these elections are free and fair. As a leading EU member, Italy can—and must—play a pivotal role in bolstering Albania’s democratic development and its path to European integration.

Let’s be frank: if Europe falters, if it leaves geopolitical vacuums in the Balkans, others will step in to fill them. Russia with its ambitions, Turkey with its designs, China with its capital—all are watching this region with keen eyes, ready to impose agendas that clash with our values of democracy, liberty, and solidarity. Can we afford this? I say no. And I say Italy, with its tradition and political acumen, has a duty to prevent it.

It’s high time Brussels woke up. Bringing the Balkans into the European Union isn’t a gracious concession, a prize to be doled out with condescension. It’s an investment in the future—a strategic choice that will make Europe stronger, more cohesive, more secure. In this grand design, Italy must be the bridge, the natural link between the two shores of the Adriatic—not just because of geography, but because of soul. We Italians know what it means to feel European without losing ourselves. We proved it under Berlusconi, when we championed a broader, more inclusive Europe, closer to its peoples and less shackled by technocrats.

Forza Italia, then as now, carries this banner with conviction. We are Europeanists, yes—but not out of blind devotion to an Europe of stifling rules and cold balance sheets. We are Europeanists because we believe in peoples, their aspirations, their ability to forge a shared destiny. And we are reformists, because we want an Europe unafraid to grow, to expand, to face the world’s challenges with backbone and vision.

The year 2030 isn’t some abstract milestone, a date to jot down and forget. It’s a concrete pledge, a promise we must keep. But that requires a leadership class that won’t settle for drifting, that won’t bend to fleeting winds. It demands the spirit of Alcide De Gasperi, who rebuilt a nation from rubble and gave it a home in Europe. It calls for the foresight of Jean Monnet, who envisioned unity where others saw only division. It needs the grit of those like us Italians, who know politics isn’t about managing the status quo—it’s about building the future.

As Balkans Coordinator for Forza Italia, I won’t relent. I’ll work day by day, step by step, to turn this vision into reality. An Europe that embraces the Balkans is a truer, fuller, more ours Europe. And Italy—the Italy that knows how to be great, that knows how to lead, not just follow—has returned with its head held high. It has no intention of turning back. Ever.