Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama voiced scepticism about the pace and predictability of European Union enlargement on June 5, joking that accession is impossible to forecast even as EU leaders discussed giving Western Balkan countries earlier access to parts of the bloc through a policy of gradual integration.

“There are three things you cannot predict, three: God, sex, and the EU,” Rama told reporters when asked when Albania might join the bloc, a statement from his office said.

His remarks, delivered at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro, captured a frustration shared across much of the region, where countries including Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Kosovo remain at varying stages of accession despite years of reforms and negotiations.

Rama nevertheless welcomed growing discussion in Brussels of “a concept backed by Germany and France that would allow candidate countries deeper participation in EU institutions, markets and programmes before full membership”. 

“I believe that Europe, above all for itself, must be more courageous,” he said, arguing that the bloc should continue to base accession on merit while finding new ways to integrate candidates earlier.

Referencing former German chancellor Helmut Kohl and France’s late president François Mitterrand, Rama said Europe needed a similarly bold political moment.

“If the EU wants to convey a very strong message to the world and give itself great energy, it should say: just as you are around the table today, we should always be around this table, but each with its own status until we become full members," he said.

He dismissed suggestions that gradual integration would leave candidates trapped in a permanent waiting room.

“It's not a waiting room, it's integration," he said. "The EU should now find a way to create a Helmut Kohl moment.”

The summit reflects a wider shift in EU thinking as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the geopolitical importance of the Western Balkans. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said enlargement remained a strategic priority for the bloc.

"The future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union," von der Leyen said in a statement. "With investment, economic integration and closer cooperation, we are bringing the Western Balkans closer to the European Union and together, building a stronger Europe. At a time of growing geopolitical challenges, enlargement is a strategic investment in our shared stability, prosperity and security.”

Leaders reviewed progress under the EU's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, a €6bn initiative launched in 2023 to give countries some benefits of membership before accession. More than €670mn has been disbursed since 2024 to support reforms and investment projects, according to the European Commission.

Germany and France have emerged as key advocates of the gradual integration approach. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the six Western Balkan countries should become EU members "soon", while French President Emmanuel Macron argued that countries meeting specific criteria should be able to participate in selected EU formats before accession.

Rama praised the shift in thinking but said Europe needed greater political ambition. He warned that keeping aspiring members at arm's length for too long could create openings for rival powers seeking influence in the region.

"You don't tell children, 'go stay with your neighbour until you're ready to dress like us'," he said.