By Amelia Baxter, Junior Editor.
This was an exceptional event, the very first National Day of Burundi held by a home-based accredited ambassador to the Netherlands. An event to celebrate the National Day and the opening of a new diplomatic mission of Burundi in The Hague. Her Excellency, Ms. Vestine Nahimana, was in charge to organize, together with her team and volunteers, the very well attended diplomatic reception on July 1st at Carlton Ambassador Hotel. We were looking at Mr. Arwin Paulides, General Manager of the hotel, moving back and forth the all day for the preparation of this national day, indeed, sponsored by Diplomat Magazine and Diplomatic Card. Following ambassador Nahimana’s speech, she introduced the CEO of Diplomatic Card, Mr. Marc Stockbroekx, who briefly explained to the attendees the use and practice of Diplomatic Card in terms of automatic VAT deductions for diplomats.
Please take a look at the complete set of beautiful pictures by clicking here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/ Diplomatic Card sponsored this event, click here for the invitation from the Ambassador of Burundi: BURUNDI.NATIONAL.DAY
By Amelia Baxter, Junior editor
Please take a look at the complete set of beautiful pictures by clicking here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/
Diplomat Magazine had the great pleasure of celebrating its first anniversary at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel in The Hague. Over two hundred guests, including 22 ambassadors, were welcomed by the reception line consisting of Bonnie Klap, Peter Knoope, and Drs. Eva Maria Mendes. The hotel staff were extremely attentive throughout the event, in particular general manager Arwin Paulides ensured that everything went smoothly. In attendance were those at the heart of the publication: diplomats, photographers, lawyers, and other volunteers. Many embassies contributed to the buffet style dinner, among them the embassies of Guatemala, India, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, el Salvador, Angola, Latvia, Panama, Colombia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Cyprus, Serbia, Tunisia, China Russia, the Cabinet of Sint Maarten and Direct Languages Centre. A jazz group livened up the atmosphere and a DJ ended with an impromptu dance party that lasted until 11pm, after which the party moved downstairs to Rubens Bar. As the brainchild of Dr. Eugenio Matos, the publication is flourishing and a glossy paper version will be out shortly. We would like to thank everyone for their support and extend an especially warm gratitude to our many volunteers for their commitment.
Special thanks to Carlton Ambassador Hotel and all members of its staff, embassies of Guatemala, India, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, el Salvador, Angola, Latvia, Panama, Colombia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Cyprus, Serbia, Tunisia, China Russia, the Cabinet of Sint Maarten, Direct Languages Centre and all Diplomat Magazine volunteers staff.Please take a look at the complete set of beautiful pictures by clicking here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/
By Bonnie Klap, Editor in Chief.
On the occasion of the Egyptian National Day the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Mrs. Farahat hosted a reception at the World hotel Bel Air in The Hague. The National day of Egypt refers to Revolution Day, the Anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 when the Free Officers Movement and Gamal Abdel Nasser undertook the militairy coup that led to the abdication of King Farouk. The reception was very well- attended and the guests could enjoy a wide variety of Egyptian delicacies. They also received a ‘goodie-bag,’ containing a typical Egyptian Scarab beetle and booklets containing extensive touristic information on Egypt. Egypt is a unique blend of timeless fascination and modern approaches to holiday making, which give it a very special place in the world of tourism.
Interview with Mrs. Natalia Tymoshenko.
By Bonnie Klap, Editor in Chief.
Mrs. Natalia Tymoshenko, the wife of the Ambassador of Ukraine, is a brave lady. Although she has broken her leg, she insists we proceed with the interview and warmly welcomes me in her residence, sitting on the couch with her leg in a cast. She is ready for her first question.
1). Tell us a bit about your background, such as education, profession and family.
“ I come from a family of doctors. My mother and all the relatives from my mother’s side were doctors, as was my father. He was also Member of the Medical Academy, not only in the former USSR, but in several European countries as well, such as Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary. However, I never saw myself as a doctor and I believe it is always important to do what you want and what you are good at. So I graduated from the National University in Kiev, holding my Masters in Russian language and literature and after a few years I obtained my PhD in Russian language. I have worked as a Professor of Russian language twice in Austria and for more than 10 years I worked as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of International Relations and International Law, which is where I met Olexander, my husband, who was the Professor of International Relations there. I have always followed my husband to his postings: USA, Canada, Singapore and now here in The Netherlands. I have published more than 60 articles, as well as three books, mostly on Diplomatic Protocol and etiquette and have also participated in radio and TV shows. As for our family, my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this year and both our children live with us here in The Netherlands. Natalia studies Economy and Finance at the University of Amsterdam and our son Alex goes to school in The Hague. They are both happy here. Natalia worked as a volunteer in an animal shelter and Alex participated in several charity runs.”
2). You have now lived in The Netherlands for several years. Can you share an anecdote with us? Did you experience anything funny, or strange, or unexpected or very original?
“ We are very happy to live here. It is a great country with a rich history, culture and friendly people. I find that there is a very small distance between the various levels of Dutch society. For instance, we have met Mr. Rutte, Prime Minister of The Netherlands, who was accompanied by only one person. How different that is from many other countries! My husband greeted Mr. Rutte and they started to discuss some business. It was as simple as that. I think that was quite extraordinary. Also I can see that the people here enjoy their life, at the sea, in the café, they know how to cherish life. I love and admire their sense of well-being, which they call ‘gezellig.’”
3). What can you tell us about the cultural aspects of Ukraine, such as archtitecture, music etc.?
“ Ukraine was populated many centuries BC. It was known by ancient Greeks and Romans and there are still remnants of their settlements here. In our museums we have a great collection of Scythian art, specifically Scythian gold. As for music, Ukraine is well known for its folk songs, classical and pop music. Our language is very melodic. The famous writer Nikolai Gogol was born in Ukraine and the great composer Petr Tchaikovsky was a descendant of the famous Ukrainian Cossack family Tchaika. Regarding architecture, I can mention the Odessa Opera House and the wooden churches in Western Ukraine and certainly the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, which is on the UNESCO Heritage List, but then again, we could talk for days about Ukrainian culture.”
By Bonnie Klap, Editor in Chief.
During the last couple of weeks a number of Herringparties were held across the country. Varying in scale, venue, prestige and number of guests, the average Herringparty in The Netherlands serves two purposes: Sampling the new herring and socializing in a sophisticated manner, with ladies wearing hats and the guests sipping champagne. Perhaps unknown to non-Dutch nationals, attending a Herring Party does not mean tilting one’s head backward and more or less slurping up the herring. Granted, this is the way it is generally eaten by the Dutch, but at the Herring parties the fish is usually served in a more elegant way, neatly cut up in small pieces and served up with chopped, raw onions. However, as already mentioned, attending a Herringparty is as much about meeting interesting people as it is about eating herring and most would argue the former is paramount. The Dutch have been eating raw herring for hundreds of years and to understand this Dutch tradition we have to go back in time, to the Middle Ages to be exact, which is when the Dutch herring fisheries were Europe’s largest fishery with the fishermen operating sophisticated vessels and immediately processing the catch on board. This was done by soaking the herring in a salt solution, called brine. This process, which was developed by the Dutch, enabled them to market and sell the herring all over Europe, earning them a strong reputation as fishermen. Herring is caught in the North Sea between the end of May and the beginning of July. Although the rather slippery, raw fish may not appeal to most foreigners, much can be said in favor of its health-benefits, as herring contains a substantial amount of the healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Still not convinced to try this Dutch delicacy? Then at least do attend one of the many Herring parties held across the Netherlands, if not to eat herring, then to meet some interesting and distinguished people.
By Roy Lie, Editor.Guatemala – Cradle of the Ancient Mayan Civilisation
His Excellency, Jorge Lemcke, arrived in The Hague in September 2012. Like all new ambassadors, he subsequently presented his credentials to H.M. Queen Beatrix. Ambassador Lemcke Arevalo, deems it a pity that protocol does not allow photographs to be taken whilst credentials are presented to the king or queen as it would be an impressive occasion to capture. Ambassador Lemcke Arevalo said that it was a wonderful ceremony and a warm welcome to the Netherlands.
Ambassador Lemcke Arevalo speaks highly of his native Guatemala. He will focus on the promotion of Guatemala as the top priority during his tenure.
Guatemala in the export market
Guatemala is already very active in the Central American-western Caribbean region and the rest of Latin America. The market is now talking to European and other potential worldwide investors. Guatemala was the first country in Central America with a free trade zone and has been a member of the Central AmericaCommonwealth since the Commonwealth’s foundation on 13 December 1960 of which the original five member states were Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The Commonwealth’s exports are primarily to the US, Mexico, Central America and Europe.
Current agricultural products exported from Guatemala include palm oil, sugar, coffee, fresh fruit and vegetables. The flower sector is thriving and Guatemala is known for its export of Phalaenopsis Orchids, a family of Orchids of more than 60 species and the most common kind of orchid on the flower market.
Tourism currently generates around 13% of the country’s GDP. Popular destinations in the country include: the magnificent Mayan ruins, where one of the five ancient world civilisations was established; the tranquil turquoise waters of the Caribbean and the thrilling adventure of the Pacific Ocean; historical Antigua, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO; the grandeur of Lake Atitlan, surrounded by three majestic volcanoes; and other incomparable destinations, including Guatemala’s rain-forest.
Guatemala and other key economic sectors
Beyond export and tourism, Guatemala’s hydro power plants provide 30% of the nation’s electricity with a potential of 20 times more output. The government is striving to increase this to 70% in the future. Sugar cane residue used for bio-mass also makes a moderate energy contribution. The clothing industry is also flourishing, with the US being a major customer. The textile cluster of Guatemala hosts a well-attended annual trade show, which is well regarded in the region, known as the Apparel Sourcing Show. The world famous Zacapa Rum, a digestive, is a number one export product. It is currently exported via a European distributor.
According to the National Statistics Institute of Guatemala the country’s current unemployment rate is at 3.2%. However, this statistic does not take informal employment into account.
Due to the country’s sophisticated communications network, several international call centers have branches in Guatemala, providing key employment across the nation. Health and wellness tourism is another important economical segment in the services sector, attracting many visitors to the country. However, the development of existing infrastructure is needed to provide the transportation sector with a further boost.
The high level of cooperation and solidarity in the Central American region is notable. There is a healthy level of inter dependence of which the respective sovereign states are very much aware and are acting to improve. The Tegucigalpa Protocol of 13 December 1991 agreed the need to jointly address regional challenges. The governments of Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicargua and Panama, signed the Protocol Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (Central American Integration System, SICA) in 1991. This protocol aims to consolidate peace, liberty, democracy and development in the region, the fundamental objectives of SICA. The Dominican Republic and Belize have more recently gained access to SICA. Around 30% of the Central American population lives in Guatemala.
There is currently a border, island and continental waters dispute between Guatemala and Belize. However, a referendum is set to be held in both countries in the very near future, after which it will be decided whether to take the matter to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The Organisation of American States (OAS) will facilitate the process.
Nature and natural resources of Guatemala
Guatemala has around 30 dormant volcanoes and 3 active ones. It is a real spectacle to observe the rumbling volcanoes from the capital, Guatemala City. Guatemala has an ideal climate with lush and fertile land and can be visited during any time of the year during the country’s two seasons: from May to October it is the rainy season, and from November to April the dry season.
The wealth of natural resources in Guatemala includes crude oil, gold, nickel, silver and copper and important reserves of non-metallic minerals such as limestone, schist and clay. Important investments in this sector are concentrating on extracting oil and precious metals and producing portland cement, lime and other important construction materials.
Guatemala’s culinary patrimony
Guatemalan dishes include the famous Guatemalan tamales, black bean stews, and high cuisine mainly using turkey, pork, and chicken. Unfortunately there are currently no Guatemalan restaurants in the Netherlands.
More about the Ambassador
His Excellency Ambassador Jorge Alfredo Lemcke Arévalo, is a chemical engineer by profession. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration, previously having worked in the construction sector before joining the diplomatic service. Jorge Alfredo Lemcke Arévalo loves sports and is a former basketball and volleyball player, having also tried his hand at tennis as well as recently taking up cycling and walking. As for arts, he enjoys playing the organ and keyboard.
Ambassador Jorge Alfredo Lemcke Arévalo hopes that his legacy will be to see an eventual court case at the ICJ achieving a solution to the long border dispute between Guatemala and Belize. As well as taking his beloved Guatemala to higher heights in the world.
Guatemala, the land of eternal spring and cradle of one of the five ancient civilizations, welcomes investors, the enjoyment of her natural resources, agriculture and tourism, as well as visitors to the country’s amazing Mayan heritage, ruins and temples.
By Dr. Luis Ritto. Former EU Ambassador to the Holy See and the Order of Malta and former EU Permanent Representative to the United Nations Organisations. Emeritus Professor at the International School of Protocol & Diplomacy in Brussels and expert on diplomacy, diplomatic protocol and world affairs.
« Successful diplomacy is an alignment of objectives and means”, Dennis Ross (American politician and diplomat). In my previous articles about this same subject of diplomacy (http://ispdnews.wordpress.com/), I explained how it has evolved and how it has became more open and transparent with time. And I also said that there is no diplomacy without power, although diplomacy tends to be generally associated with soft power .
Today, I am going to write about two subjects that, I hope, will serve as examples of soft power and how diplomacy has become more open in the last one hundred years or so: public diplomacy and nation branding (or country branding, as some scholars also call it). At the beginning, diplomacy was the instrument used by governments to implement their foreign policies and strategies. It was carried out in all discretion by government officials, mainly from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and by diplomats. The people, the general public or the citizens of nations, knew little or nothing about what diplomats discussed and negotiated on behalf of their countries. And this is still today the traditional understanding of diplomacy in many parts of the world.
But, as from the end of the First World War (1914-1918), diplomacy started to be less secretive and more open. US President Woodrow Wilson, who travelled to Paris to sign the First World War armistice agreement in Versailles (in June 1919), said more or less the following to his European allies: “diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view”. And this is what really started to happen as from that date especially with the spread of democracy in the world.
The United Nations considers the 20th century “the century of democracy” because democracy spread in that century to all parts of the world. In fact, the 20th century transformed the political, social and economic structures of the world in ways no one could have imagined before. According to UN figures, electoral democracies now represent 120 of the 196 existing world countries and constitute more than 58 percent of the globe’s population. And with democracy, relations between countries also changed. In democracy, which means government by the people, citizens are engaged in their country’s political process, people are sovereign and form the highest form of political authority with the result that governments are based on the consent of the governed. Besides, democracy brought transparency and accountancy with it. And in more open and transparent systems, governments are required to have their foreign policies discussed and approved by parliaments and then carried out in practice not only by professional diplomats, but also by other people and organisations— like for example, non-governmental organisations (or NGOs), trade organisations, cultural bodies, scientific committees, media organisations, sports groups and so forth.
This is how public diplomacy was born in fact, a rather new tool used mainly by democratic nations to help put in place their foreign policies by using communication tools intended primarily to inform and influence foreign citizens and their opinion leaders. Diplomacy is essentially about communication and image. Public diplomacy fits well into this definition. Public diplomacy changed the traditional understanding of diplomacy based on the relationship between states and state organisations carried out by government officials and diplomats, to a diplomacy that attempts also to reach foreign publics and their public opinions. This is generally carried out by embassies in foreign countries— in other words, by official diplomats— and also by other organisations, such as non-state actors, cultural organisations, academic institutions, etc. in a joint attempt to use several tools at the same time to pass necessary information to other nations. In practice, public diplomacy includes programmes for international audiences, such as broadcasting and information activities, cultural productions, scientific programmes, educational exchange programmes for scholars and students, visitor programmes, books and literature, conferences and seminars and language training.
In recent decades, public diplomacy has become increasingly central to the practice of diplomacy. The need for public diplomacy in modern times is obvious. In the era of globalisation, where communication is easy and reaches foreign publics in record times (the so-called democratisation of information), states must pay attention to public opinion in other states. Experience with the use of this new tool of soft power has shown that public diplomacy must not be based on propaganda, but on the honest and objective dissemination of information and values. In other words: it must have credibility! In fact, diplomatic communication to be effective must not misrepresent the truth and must be made in such a way that governments and citizens of other countries feel that the interaction is respectful and positive. Besides, public diplomacy to be successful needs to be viewed in a long-term perspective that requires working through the exchange of people and ideas in order to build trust, understanding and lasting relationships.
In reality, public diplomacy is also about building relationships: understanding the needs of other countries, cultures and peoples; correcting misperceptions; looking for areas of common cause; and communicating points of view. Trust is essential for effective public diplomacy and trust usually can only be built on the basis of long and trusted relationships. Besides, this is the most effective way of communicating positive messages and fostering good relations with other countries. Examples or cases of best practices in public diplomacy have often been given as being the following: Alliance Française; the Fulbright programme of the US; the Goethe Institute of Germany; the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET); and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Foundation of Germany. The United Kingdom has some of the most effective and envied public diplomacy institutions in the world: the BBC World Service; the British Council; its excellent network of universities; and the programme called “Invest UK”, which has consistently been able to draw over the years higher levels of inward investment in the UK than any other EU country. British institutions are engaged in public diplomacy in almost every country of the world.
In recent times, the increased interest in public diplomacy has led to developments in other fields, such as marketing and nation branding, which are now also part of diplomacy. In many Western countries— and this is particularly the case of EU nations— public diplomacy is considered an essential foreign relations tool and not as an add-on to the rest of diplomacy, as it was the case in the beginning. It is therefore a central activity which is played out across many dimensions (political, cultural, economic and scientific) and with many partners.
In what concerns “nation branding” it is, simply put, the use of branding techniques by countries in an effort (a) to improve and enhance their overall image and (b) to position themselves in terms of their investment potential, credit worthiness, export opportunities, tourism potential and relations with other states. It is also a sort of image management. Nation branding has been especially important for small countries with limited diplomatic resources (Andorra, Monaco, Singapore, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Slovenia….), although large countries like India, the US and Canada have also been using it with success.
Scholars, like for instance Professor Evan Potter of the University of Ottawa in Canada, consider nation brands as one of the best forms of soft power. For him, when governments support national brands at any level (directly or indirectly), they become in essence public diplomacy (1). In fact, many countries use nation branding as one of their main tools of public diplomacy and even consider it an integral part of their public diplomacy efforts, through which foreign nations and people can be reached more easily. Some experts also consider nation branding as the economic dimension of public diplomacy or as the public dimension of economic diplomacy (2).
One of the great achievements of nation branding has been to revitalise the promotion of countries and to make public diplomacy more strategic. Many countries have been able to prove their relevance by using nation branding together with public diplomacy. Other benefits of adopting a branding-oriented approach to public diplomacy have been:
To better visualise public diplomacy;
To bring creativity in reaching out to foreign publics;
To increase the competitiveness of nations in a globalised world;
To improve communication skills of nations aimed at foreign audiences;
As nation branding targets a wider audience than public diplomacy, it widens the number of people it can reach;
And as nation branding is more results-oriented than public diplomacy alone, it generally translates into more dynamism and more tangible results (2).
A commonly cited success story of public diplomacy coupled with nation branding is the one of Norway. Norway is a small European country of under 5 million people. It is not a member of the European Union, Norwegian is not an international language and the country is not a main tourist destination. It is located in the northern part of Europe far from hub countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.
Yet, Norway has a voice and an important presence on the international stage out of proportion to its size and modest position. It has achieved this presence through the aggressive pursuit of niche public diplomacy together with a good prioritisation of its target audiences. It concentrated on a single message— Norway as a force for peace in the world— and on improving the effect of two negative images: lack of influence in Europe (through non-EU status) and its attachment to whaling. It has worked so well that Norway has today international visibility around the issue of peace and conflict prevention which is very beneficial to the country. The reputation of Norway in conflict resolution ensures that it is regarded as relevant in multilateral forums and other important international players, thus affording it influence on this issue. And this strategy was developed with a limited budget and based on the geographical concentration of its public diplomacy activities on just six relationships: the USA, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.
But it is not only Norway that has been successful in jointly using public diplomacy and branding techniques to market their countries. A brand identity is based on the strength of delivering a quality product over time: the USA for freedom and investments; Switzerland for tourism and banking; Italy for food and fashion…. Everybody remembers certainly the brand campaign of India called “Incredible India”, which has led to a different image of that country which saw with it its tourism increase substantially. Other popular branding slogans are: Malaysia: Truly Asia; Dubai: The Jewel in the Desert; Uniquely Singapore; Amazing Thailand; and Sri Lanka: The Pearl of the Indian Ocean.
Soft power experts like this spread of branding strategies, they believe that they are contributing to a better world, to a world that is better known by a great number of countries and citizens. Let us hope they are right and that these soft strategies will contribute effectively in the long term to a better world!
(1). Potter, Evan, “Branding Canada: Projecting Canada’s Soft Power through Public Diplomacy” (McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal/Kingston, 2009).
(2). Szondi, Gyorgy, “Public Diplomacy and Nation Branding: Conceptual Similarities and Differences” (Netherlands Institute of International Relations, October 2008).
Sources:
Nye, Joseph, “Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power” (New York: Basic Books, 1990).
Nye, Joseph, “Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics” (New York: Public Affairs, 2004).
Olins, Wally, “Branding the Nation-The Historical Context”, Journal of Brand Management (2002).
Risen, Clay, “Branding Nations”, New York Times (Dec. 11, 2005).
Dinnie, K. “Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues and Practice” (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008).
The parting Ambassadors of Georgia, Honduras and Panama were the first recipients of the Certificate of Merit. The Certificate of Merit is an initiative of the Diplomat Magazine awarded to parting Ambassadors in recognition of their outstanding contribution in enhancing the bilateral ties between their countries and The Kingdom of the Netherlands and in gratitude for their support of the Diplomatic Community and Diplomat Magazine.
Ambassador José Manuel Téran Sittón of Panama, Ambassador Mauricio Ricardo Aguilar Robles of Honduras and Ambassador Shota Gvineria of Georgia received their certificates at a private ceremony at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel last Friday 20 June, 2014. The second group of parting Head of diplomatic Missions will receive the Certificate of Merit in July at Carlton Ambassador.
The certificates were designed with a background image of the coat of arms from the traditional Stokbroekx family. Mr. Marc Stokbroekx, currently CEO for Diplomatic Card, attended the ceremony and offered a historical description of the coat of arms. Diplomat Magazine will be officially presenting this special recognition to ambassadors before leaving the Netherlands.
Description coat of arms Stokbroekx family.
The coat of arms of the Stockbroekx family finds its origin in the combination of the symbols of duke of von Heinsberg and duchesse van Loon, two aristocratic families in 1400. On the left we see a pattern of red and gold stripes which symbolizes the duchesse of the van Loon family. On the right we see a white lion on a red background symbolizing the duke of the von Heinsberg family. Across the two parts there is a blue beam which is known as the symbol of the “recognised bastard stripe”. This indicates that the descendant Johan van Stokbroekx born in 1442 of the von Heinsberg-van Loon county was born out of a danish marriage.
This second kind of marriage next to the official one was permitted by the church in order to give the opportunity to aristocratic members to marry out of love. Although it gave no rights to the descendants of such a marriage. Besides Johan van Stokbroekx also Lennart van Stokbroekx was born from this danish marriage. So their parents could give their two sons the privilege to wear the coat of arms of both their families in one coat of arm. As the descendants had no rights althus also no right to wear the name of their father, the parents had to give them an new name which became “Stokbroekx”.
This name was linked to the area which was given to their son Johan van Stokbroekx. So the name consists of two parts of which “stock” stands for property and “broek” for swamp, referring to the area which was given by the father, the duke of von Heinsberg, where Johan van Stokbroekx lived. With the stok (stick) in the old ages people indicated their property. So Johan van Stokbroekx owned this area where there were a lot of swamps. This area is also known under the name of Kessenich in Limbourg close to the three country point of Belgium, Holland and Germany. Since his parents were both aristocrats and Johan van Stokbroekx was a recognised bastard, all his descendants have aristocratic roots and are referred to as root aristocracy.
Coat of Arms Stockbroekx family
Hendrik Stockbroekx who moved in the beginning of the 20th century from Kessenich to Antwerp, is one of the direct descendants of Johan van Stokbroekx.
As oldest grandson of the Antwerp branch of the Stockbroekx family, Marc Jozef Hendrik Stockbroekx is wearing the signet ring with the coat of arms of the family in it which he herited from his father Emmanuël Stockbroekx who was the eldest son of Hendrik Stockbroekx of the Antwerp branch. The signet ring has been in the family for generations and is passed on from father to son. One day he will pass the ring on to his oldest son who will keep the tradition alive.
Here below, the coat of arms of the Stokbroekx family, which is serving as background image in the Certificate of Merit dedicated since now on to every parting ambassador.
A long history in the tax-free business
The Stockbroekx family has already a long history in the tax-free business. It all started with Marc Stockbroekx’s grandfather Hendrik Stockbroekx who decided to move from Kessenich to Antwerp in the 1920s and to marry Martha Daeseleire the only daughter of an old and well known Antwerp family. The couple was very entrepreneurial and they started up various businesses. One was the delivery of tax-free goods to vessels in the port of Antwerp. At that time the family already had good international relations among others with Spanish and Greek families who were also active in the maritime business.
With the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations in 1961 a whole new market emerged. The family decided to focus on this niche market by supplying tax-free goods to diplomats. Today Marc Stockbroekx , who is the third generation that is active in the tax-free business, continues in this niche market. At its helm, the company was modernized and he brought the company into the 21st century by launching an electronic Diplomat Card automating and digitalizing the procedures for diplomats by means of a postpaid Fuel card and VAT free card which were invented by Marc Stockbroekx. It was then decided to reinforce the relations with the Greek family Arvanitis. Manolis Arvanitis, the oldest son of the family, who has also been active in the tax-free business for many years, was invited to become the General Manager of the company Diplomatic Card.
Marc and Manolis form the axe of the development of the company now.
Certificate of Merit – Ceremony of Merit- Farewell ceremony
By Dr. Zemaida Kastrati Mozali, Expert, International Relations & European Union
For the second time already, the European Commission recommended granting EU Candidate Status for Albania. The idea was not only to recognize the progress in particular on the areas of justice, the fight against corruption and organized crime and the reforms made by the previous government, but also to encourage the new government to show more results in fulfilling the European criteria for candidate status and pursuing with ongoing reforms. The first time was last December and there was some hope to have a positive decision of European Council to finally open another “door” for Albania towards the European Union. There was also some hope, considering a common idea that “when Commission proposes, Council disposes”, meaning that only in extreme cases Council might go against the recommendation of Commission. But, five European countries voted against it, which does not mean a simple veto, but kind of “some” countries veto, or kind of “common” decision.
After this “No” decision of the Council, there were different opinions and interpretations. Some comments related to “Euroscepticism”, “Eurosceptics”, crisis of Europe, in&out-problems of Europe and the “lack of appetite’ for new countries. Some others referred to the “fear from migration”, or “discriminatory Europe”, meaning different behaviors and standards v.i.s. different countries who aspire for EU membership.
Finally, the moment arrived when the European Council agreed upon the candidate status of Albania. At the end of June, all EU ministers voted to grant this very long-awaited status.
Since its establishment, the European Union has passed through challenges and in many cases has overcome them, becoming therefore even stronger. The increasing number of states, the different problems, economic crisis and recently surprising results of the elections, have changed very much the context(es), and as result the stand v.i.s. the aspiring countries, including Albania. The criteria, the standards, the requirements coming from EU for the “newcomers” seem to be seen by a different loupe, compared for example to the ones used for Bulgaria or Rumania.[1]The Copenhagen criteria are the same, but in every case/evaluation/recognition there might be space for subjectivism regarding conditions that the EU establishes for the candidate countries to fulfill before entering the EU. In certain cases, EU continues to be dominated by national interests, mostly those of old member states which are the biggest contributors within the Community, but not only. The case of Check and CEZ was a clear indicator to illustrate. [2]
Albania has made a long way and progress since 1992, the time when it has signed the first agreement with EU. And it was the first country in the Balkan to start formal relations with European Union. For sure, Albanian democratic transition has not been easy and one might even doubt if this transition has already finished. Substantial reforms have been needed, have been undertaken and the European Union has recognized them. Last year, Albania received a list of 12 key priorities to be worked on. The peaceful transition of the government, after the general elections was considered as maturity for the Albanian political class.
The Economic situation in Albania, described by GDP per capita, ranks it among the poorest countries in Europe, at almost a third of the EU 28, referring to the latest Eurostat data. And this is only one indicator. “Corruption, nepotism and organized crime are a burden on the democratization process.” These are some problems, according to Mr. Hellmut Hoffman, the German Ambassador in Albania. Referring to the same source of information, “The implementation of the rule of law is the key. Also, the recommendation of European Commission was that “Albania still needs to meet key priorities, with particular focus on administration and judiciary reform, fight against corruption and organized crime”. [3]
There have been some cases of investigation and even denouncing against corruption. But, these remain separate and not properly serving as models for education of our population with anti corruption standards, including here politicians. So, fight against corruption seems far from needed standards to comply with EU requirements. Yes, it is the Balkan syndrome; it is something that exists and which cannot be changed overnight. But the measures should be taken accordingly and strongly. “If you can reform, you should go for revolution”, a colleague of mine, used to say.
The political situation in Albania is characterized by a total lack of dialogue. The promises and commitments to a sustainable and constructive political dialogue, which is vital for the sustainability of the reform process, seem to be rhetoric. No agreement has been achieved so far among main political parties, even in cases when it is absolutely needed.
The steps Albania has to undertake have to be decisive and cover not only the key priorities and recommendations of the European Council, but it has to undertake a real “battle” on the long road towards European Union. It has to cover the approximation of legislation and implementation of laws, it has to strengthen the culture of punishment, it has to consider and apply the non discrimination policy and it has to find concrete solution to the rights of property. Albania has to make the proper reform of the administration, by enhancing the professionalism, by hiring persons not because of political affiliation, but based on the real meritocracy. And the “to-do List” Albania has to go through seems to be very long, to produce verifiable results and convince European Union countries that we Albanians are and will be European, not simply in geographical terms, not simply because of European origin, not only because the history has been unjust with us and we are struggling to correct it, not only considering the geostrategic situation(s)[4] and because it is in the interest of Europe itself to become stronger and more consolidated, by widening and deepening at the same time, but because we deserve to be members of European Union.
We have to get the real understanding of the candidate status, of the real economic benefits which are strongly related to the political credit and improvement of the image. To be more precise, now is the time we have to work even harder to attract the attention of FDI (Foreign Direct Investments), to continue promote our natural resources, to facilitate the procedures of investing here, to settle the problems with the properties, in order to produce as many jobs as possible. This could and would be a real economic benefit for Albania.
Two things have not changed in these years of transition in Albania: 1. Despite the lack of political dialogue (lack of maturity), there has always been consensus when it comes to European integration; for every government in place, the main priority has been European perspective and so far, this has been accompanied by the popular support; 2. The support of population or the so-called Euro-optimism has been very strong for long time. But, this has not remained the same, showing a decrease of it into 77.1% compared to 85% in 2013. [5]
For Albania it is very important to show up as an added value for European Union, as a country that is moving forward in the European perspective; at the same time, Europe has to continue to show up its positivity as the Albania’s natural “home/house” as well as Albania’s final destination.
[1] Immigration from these two countries seems to be more problematic compared to the one from Albania.
What happens when artist Jasper Krabbé immerses himself in the Tropenmuseum’s depositories and is given a free hand to make an exhibition? What does the Tropenmuseum’s collection look like through Krabbé’s eyes? And how does this unique encounter inspire him and museum visitors? From 13 September 2014 to 25 January 2015 Krabbé will transform the Tropenmuseum into his ideal house with influences from all corners of the globe. With around 1000 objects in the Soulmade. Jasper KrabbéX Tropenmuseum exhibition, Krabbé creates nine ensembles with his own new work as the focal point. The result is a diversity of objects. At first sight they seem to have nothing to do with each other but with Krabbé’s help you can see similarities. The objects and Krabbé thus become soulmates.
Visual artist Jasper Krabbé (1970) roamed around the Tropenmuseum’s depositories several times. Past the magic staffs from Sumatra, carnival costumes from Bolivia, hairdressers’ signboards from West Africa and cassava graters from Suriname. An exhibition has emanated from this special experience that presents the encounter between a Dutch contemporary artist and the work of mainly unknown makers of the objects from the museum collection. Moved by the wide diversity and vitality of the collection items, Krabbé made a selection based on intuition, recognition, colour, shape and material.
Personal story
By placing the items from the collection side by side with his own work Krabbé creates ensembles which give a new, personal perspective to both his own work and the museum collection. He shares this view with the public in a very personal way: he invites the visitor into his ideal house. A house with nine rooms each with its own ensemble. You walk through the Hallway full of textiles and erotic prints from China, through the Smoking Room with smokers’ requisites and Indonesian portraits, and through the dark Bedroom with cupboards and Batak priest’ books from Sumatra. In each room amazing new connections are made between artists, materials and shapes, and emotions and inspiration. The Soulmade.Jasper KrabbéX Tropenmuseum exhibition gives an extremely personal view of Krabbé’s inspiration originating from the Tropenmuseum’s ethnographical collection and displays their affinity.
Combined with his own work
Jasper Krabbé was given the challenge of letting the Tropenmuseum’s collection inspire him to produce something new in combination with his own work. Krabbé studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam and the Cooper Union in New York. Since then he has exhibited all over the world, from Brazil to Italy and from Sweden to the United States. Memories in particular feature in his work and are a huge source of inspiration.
Special thanks to Carlton Ambassador Hotel and all members of its staff, embassies of Guatemala, India, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, el Salvador, Angola, Latvia, Panama, Colombia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Cyprus, Serbia, Tunisia, China Russia, the Cabinet of Sint Maarten, Direct Languages Centre and all Diplomat Magazine volunteers staff.
Please take a look at the complete set of beautiful pictures by clicking here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/
Special thanks to Carlton Ambassador Hotel and all members of its staff, embassies of Guatemala, India, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, el Salvador, Angola, Latvia, Panama, Colombia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Cyprus, Serbia, Tunisia, China Russia, the Cabinet of Sint Maarten, Direct Languages Centre and all Diplomat Magazine volunteers staff.
Please take a look at the complete set of beautiful pictures by clicking here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/
In recent decades, public diplomacy has become increasingly central to the practice of diplomacy. The need for public diplomacy in modern times is obvious. In the era of globalisation, where communication is easy and reaches foreign publics in record times (the so-called democratisation of information), states must pay attention to public opinion in other states. Experience with the use of this new tool of soft power has shown that public diplomacy must not be based on propaganda, but on the honest and objective dissemination of information and values. In other words: it must have credibility! In fact, diplomatic communication to be effective must not misrepresent the truth and must be made in such a way that governments and citizens of other countries feel that the interaction is respectful and positive. Besides, public diplomacy to be successful needs to be viewed in a long-term perspective that requires working through the exchange of people and ideas in order to build trust, understanding and lasting relationships.
In reality, public diplomacy is also about building relationships: understanding the needs of other countries, cultures and peoples; correcting misperceptions; looking for areas of common cause; and communicating points of view. Trust is essential for effective public diplomacy and trust usually can only be built on the basis of long and trusted relationships. Besides, this is the most effective way of communicating positive messages and fostering good relations with other countries. Examples or cases of best practices in public diplomacy have often been given as being the following: Alliance Française; the Fulbright programme of the US; the Goethe Institute of Germany; the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET); and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Foundation of Germany. The United Kingdom has some of the most effective and envied public diplomacy institutions in the world: the BBC World Service; the British Council; its excellent network of universities; and the programme called “Invest UK”, which has consistently been able to draw over the years higher levels of inward investment in the UK than any other EU country. British institutions are engaged in public diplomacy in almost every country of the world.
In recent times, the increased interest in public diplomacy has led to developments in other fields, such as marketing and nation branding, which are now also part of diplomacy. In many Western countries— and this is particularly the case of EU nations— public diplomacy is considered an essential foreign relations tool and not as an add-on to the rest of diplomacy, as it was the case in the beginning. It is therefore a central activity which is played out across many dimensions (political, cultural, economic and scientific) and with many partners.
In what concerns “nation branding” it is, simply put, the use of branding techniques by countries in an effort (a) to improve and enhance their overall image and (b) to position themselves in terms of their investment potential, credit worthiness, export opportunities, tourism potential and relations with other states. It is also a sort of image management. Nation branding has been especially important for small countries with limited diplomatic resources (Andorra, Monaco, Singapore, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Slovenia….), although large countries like India, the US and Canada have also been using it with success.
Scholars, like for instance Professor Evan Potter of the University of Ottawa in Canada, consider nation brands as one of the best forms of soft power. For him, when governments support national brands at any level (directly or indirectly), they become in essence public diplomacy (1). In fact, many countries use nation branding as one of their main tools of public diplomacy and even consider it an integral part of their public diplomacy efforts, through which foreign nations and people can be reached more easily. Some experts also consider nation branding as the economic dimension of public diplomacy or as the public dimension of economic diplomacy (2).
One of the great achievements of nation branding has been to revitalise the promotion of countries and to make public diplomacy more strategic. Many countries have been able to prove their relevance by using nation branding together with public diplomacy. Other benefits of adopting a branding-oriented approach to public diplomacy have been:
In recent decades, public diplomacy has become increasingly central to the practice of diplomacy. The need for public diplomacy in modern times is obvious. In the era of globalisation, where communication is easy and reaches foreign publics in record times (the so-called democratisation of information), states must pay attention to public opinion in other states. Experience with the use of this new tool of soft power has shown that public diplomacy must not be based on propaganda, but on the honest and objective dissemination of information and values. In other words: it must have credibility! In fact, diplomatic communication to be effective must not misrepresent the truth and must be made in such a way that governments and citizens of other countries feel that the interaction is respectful and positive. Besides, public diplomacy to be successful needs to be viewed in a long-term perspective that requires working through the exchange of people and ideas in order to build trust, understanding and lasting relationships.
In reality, public diplomacy is also about building relationships: understanding the needs of other countries, cultures and peoples; correcting misperceptions; looking for areas of common cause; and communicating points of view. Trust is essential for effective public diplomacy and trust usually can only be built on the basis of long and trusted relationships. Besides, this is the most effective way of communicating positive messages and fostering good relations with other countries. Examples or cases of best practices in public diplomacy have often been given as being the following: Alliance Française; the Fulbright programme of the US; the Goethe Institute of Germany; the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET); and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Foundation of Germany. The United Kingdom has some of the most effective and envied public diplomacy institutions in the world: the BBC World Service; the British Council; its excellent network of universities; and the programme called “Invest UK”, which has consistently been able to draw over the years higher levels of inward investment in the UK than any other EU country. British institutions are engaged in public diplomacy in almost every country of the world.
In recent times, the increased interest in public diplomacy has led to developments in other fields, such as marketing and nation branding, which are now also part of diplomacy. In many Western countries— and this is particularly the case of EU nations— public diplomacy is considered an essential foreign relations tool and not as an add-on to the rest of diplomacy, as it was the case in the beginning. It is therefore a central activity which is played out across many dimensions (political, cultural, economic and scientific) and with many partners.
In what concerns “nation branding” it is, simply put, the use of branding techniques by countries in an effort (a) to improve and enhance their overall image and (b) to position themselves in terms of their investment potential, credit worthiness, export opportunities, tourism potential and relations with other states. It is also a sort of image management. Nation branding has been especially important for small countries with limited diplomatic resources (Andorra, Monaco, Singapore, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Slovenia….), although large countries like India, the US and Canada have also been using it with success.
Scholars, like for instance Professor Evan Potter of the University of Ottawa in Canada, consider nation brands as one of the best forms of soft power. For him, when governments support national brands at any level (directly or indirectly), they become in essence public diplomacy (1). In fact, many countries use nation branding as one of their main tools of public diplomacy and even consider it an integral part of their public diplomacy efforts, through which foreign nations and people can be reached more easily. Some experts also consider nation branding as the economic dimension of public diplomacy or as the public dimension of economic diplomacy (2).
One of the great achievements of nation branding has been to revitalise the promotion of countries and to make public diplomacy more strategic. Many countries have been able to prove their relevance by using nation branding together with public diplomacy. Other benefits of adopting a branding-oriented approach to public diplomacy have been:
Ambassador José Manuel Téran Sittón of Panama, Ambassador Mauricio Ricardo Aguilar Robles of Honduras and Ambassador Shota Gvineria of Georgia received their certificates at a private ceremony at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel last Friday 20 June, 2014. The second group of parting Head of diplomatic Missions will receive the Certificate of Merit in July at Carlton Ambassador.
The certificates were designed with a background image of the coat of arms from the traditional Stokbroekx family. Mr. Marc Stokbroekx, currently CEO for Diplomatic Card, attended the ceremony and offered a historical description of the coat of arms. Diplomat Magazine will be officially presenting this special recognition to ambassadors before leaving the Netherlands.
Description coat of arms Stokbroekx family.
The coat of arms of the Stockbroekx family finds its origin in the combination of the symbols of duke of von Heinsberg and duchesse van Loon, two aristocratic families in 1400. On the left we see a pattern of red and gold stripes which symbolizes the duchesse of the van Loon family. On the right we see a white lion on a red background symbolizing the duke of the von Heinsberg family. Across the two parts there is a blue beam which is known as the symbol of the “recognised bastard stripe”. This indicates that the descendant Johan van Stokbroekx born in 1442 of the von Heinsberg-van Loon county was born out of a danish marriage.
This second kind of marriage next to the official one was permitted by the church in order to give the opportunity to aristocratic members to marry out of love. Although it gave no rights to the descendants of such a marriage. Besides Johan van Stokbroekx also Lennart van Stokbroekx was born from this danish marriage. So their parents could give their two sons the privilege to wear the coat of arms of both their families in one coat of arm. As the descendants had no rights althus also no right to wear the name of their father, the parents had to give them an new name which became “Stokbroekx”.
This name was linked to the area which was given to their son Johan van Stokbroekx. So the name consists of two parts of which “stock” stands for property and “broek” for swamp, referring to the area which was given by the father, the duke of von Heinsberg, where Johan van Stokbroekx lived. With the stok (stick) in the old ages people indicated their property. So Johan van Stokbroekx owned this area where there were a lot of swamps. This area is also known under the name of Kessenich in Limbourg close to the three country point of Belgium, Holland and Germany. Since his parents were both aristocrats and Johan van Stokbroekx was a recognised bastard, all his descendants have aristocratic roots and are referred to as root aristocracy.
Ambassador José Manuel Téran Sittón of Panama, Ambassador Mauricio Ricardo Aguilar Robles of Honduras and Ambassador Shota Gvineria of Georgia received their certificates at a private ceremony at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel last Friday 20 June, 2014. The second group of parting Head of diplomatic Missions will receive the Certificate of Merit in July at Carlton Ambassador.
The certificates were designed with a background image of the coat of arms from the traditional Stokbroekx family. Mr. Marc Stokbroekx, currently CEO for Diplomatic Card, attended the ceremony and offered a historical description of the coat of arms. Diplomat Magazine will be officially presenting this special recognition to ambassadors before leaving the Netherlands.
Description coat of arms Stokbroekx family.
The coat of arms of the Stockbroekx family finds its origin in the combination of the symbols of duke of von Heinsberg and duchesse van Loon, two aristocratic families in 1400. On the left we see a pattern of red and gold stripes which symbolizes the duchesse of the van Loon family. On the right we see a white lion on a red background symbolizing the duke of the von Heinsberg family. Across the two parts there is a blue beam which is known as the symbol of the “recognised bastard stripe”. This indicates that the descendant Johan van Stokbroekx born in 1442 of the von Heinsberg-van Loon county was born out of a danish marriage.
This second kind of marriage next to the official one was permitted by the church in order to give the opportunity to aristocratic members to marry out of love. Although it gave no rights to the descendants of such a marriage. Besides Johan van Stokbroekx also Lennart van Stokbroekx was born from this danish marriage. So their parents could give their two sons the privilege to wear the coat of arms of both their families in one coat of arm. As the descendants had no rights althus also no right to wear the name of their father, the parents had to give them an new name which became “Stokbroekx”.
This name was linked to the area which was given to their son Johan van Stokbroekx. So the name consists of two parts of which “stock” stands for property and “broek” for swamp, referring to the area which was given by the father, the duke of von Heinsberg, where Johan van Stokbroekx lived. With the stok (stick) in the old ages people indicated their property. So Johan van Stokbroekx owned this area where there were a lot of swamps. This area is also known under the name of Kessenich in Limbourg close to the three country point of Belgium, Holland and Germany. Since his parents were both aristocrats and Johan van Stokbroekx was a recognised bastard, all his descendants have aristocratic roots and are referred to as root aristocracy.
The Economic situation in Albania, described by GDP per capita, ranks it among the poorest countries in Europe, at almost a third of the EU 28, referring to the latest Eurostat data. And this is only one indicator. “Corruption, nepotism and organized crime are a burden on the democratization process.” These are some problems, according to Mr. Hellmut Hoffman, the German Ambassador in Albania. Referring to the same source of information, “The implementation of the rule of law is the key. Also, the recommendation of European Commission was that “Albania still needs to meet key priorities, with particular focus on administration and judiciary reform, fight against corruption and organized crime”. [3]
There have been some cases of investigation and even denouncing against corruption. But, these remain separate and not properly serving as models for education of our population with anti corruption standards, including here politicians. So, fight against corruption seems far from needed standards to comply with EU requirements. Yes, it is the Balkan syndrome; it is something that exists and which cannot be changed overnight. But the measures should be taken accordingly and strongly. “If you can reform, you should go for revolution”, a colleague of mine, used to say.
The political situation in Albania is characterized by a total lack of dialogue. The promises and commitments to a sustainable and constructive political dialogue, which is vital for the sustainability of the reform process, seem to be rhetoric. No agreement has been achieved so far among main political parties, even in cases when it is absolutely needed.
The steps Albania has to undertake have to be decisive and cover not only the key priorities and recommendations of the European Council, but it has to undertake a real “battle” on the long road towards European Union. It has to cover the approximation of legislation and implementation of laws, it has to strengthen the culture of punishment, it has to consider and apply the non discrimination policy and it has to find concrete solution to the rights of property. Albania has to make the proper reform of the administration, by enhancing the professionalism, by hiring persons not because of political affiliation, but based on the real meritocracy. And the “to-do List” Albania has to go through seems to be very long, to produce verifiable results and convince European Union countries that we Albanians are and will be European, not simply in geographical terms, not simply because of European origin, not only because the history has been unjust with us and we are struggling to correct it, not only considering the geostrategic situation(s)[4] and because it is in the interest of Europe itself to become stronger and more consolidated, by widening and deepening at the same time, but because we deserve to be members of European Union.
We have to get the real understanding of the candidate status, of the real economic benefits which are strongly related to the political credit and improvement of the image. To be more precise, now is the time we have to work even harder to attract the attention of FDI (Foreign Direct Investments), to continue promote our natural resources, to facilitate the procedures of investing here, to settle the problems with the properties, in order to produce as many jobs as possible. This could and would be a real economic benefit for Albania.
Two things have not changed in these years of transition in Albania: 1. Despite the lack of political dialogue (lack of maturity), there has always been consensus when it comes to European integration; for every government in place, the main priority has been European perspective and so far, this has been accompanied by the popular support; 2. The support of population or the so-called Euro-optimism has been very strong for long time. But, this has not remained the same, showing a decrease of it into 77.1% compared to 85% in 2013. [5]
For Albania it is very important to show up as an added value for European Union, as a country that is moving forward in the European perspective; at the same time, Europe has to continue to show up its positivity as the Albania’s natural “home/house” as well as Albania’s final destination.
The Economic situation in Albania, described by GDP per capita, ranks it among the poorest countries in Europe, at almost a third of the EU 28, referring to the latest Eurostat data. And this is only one indicator. “Corruption, nepotism and organized crime are a burden on the democratization process.” These are some problems, according to Mr. Hellmut Hoffman, the German Ambassador in Albania. Referring to the same source of information, “The implementation of the rule of law is the key. Also, the recommendation of European Commission was that “Albania still needs to meet key priorities, with particular focus on administration and judiciary reform, fight against corruption and organized crime”. [3]
There have been some cases of investigation and even denouncing against corruption. But, these remain separate and not properly serving as models for education of our population with anti corruption standards, including here politicians. So, fight against corruption seems far from needed standards to comply with EU requirements. Yes, it is the Balkan syndrome; it is something that exists and which cannot be changed overnight. But the measures should be taken accordingly and strongly. “If you can reform, you should go for revolution”, a colleague of mine, used to say.
The political situation in Albania is characterized by a total lack of dialogue. The promises and commitments to a sustainable and constructive political dialogue, which is vital for the sustainability of the reform process, seem to be rhetoric. No agreement has been achieved so far among main political parties, even in cases when it is absolutely needed.
The steps Albania has to undertake have to be decisive and cover not only the key priorities and recommendations of the European Council, but it has to undertake a real “battle” on the long road towards European Union. It has to cover the approximation of legislation and implementation of laws, it has to strengthen the culture of punishment, it has to consider and apply the non discrimination policy and it has to find concrete solution to the rights of property. Albania has to make the proper reform of the administration, by enhancing the professionalism, by hiring persons not because of political affiliation, but based on the real meritocracy. And the “to-do List” Albania has to go through seems to be very long, to produce verifiable results and convince European Union countries that we Albanians are and will be European, not simply in geographical terms, not simply because of European origin, not only because the history has been unjust with us and we are struggling to correct it, not only considering the geostrategic situation(s)[4] and because it is in the interest of Europe itself to become stronger and more consolidated, by widening and deepening at the same time, but because we deserve to be members of European Union.
We have to get the real understanding of the candidate status, of the real economic benefits which are strongly related to the political credit and improvement of the image. To be more precise, now is the time we have to work even harder to attract the attention of FDI (Foreign Direct Investments), to continue promote our natural resources, to facilitate the procedures of investing here, to settle the problems with the properties, in order to produce as many jobs as possible. This could and would be a real economic benefit for Albania.
Two things have not changed in these years of transition in Albania: 1. Despite the lack of political dialogue (lack of maturity), there has always been consensus when it comes to European integration; for every government in place, the main priority has been European perspective and so far, this has been accompanied by the popular support; 2. The support of population or the so-called Euro-optimism has been very strong for long time. But, this has not remained the same, showing a decrease of it into 77.1% compared to 85% in 2013. [5]
For Albania it is very important to show up as an added value for European Union, as a country that is moving forward in the European perspective; at the same time, Europe has to continue to show up its positivity as the Albania’s natural “home/house” as well as Albania’s final destination.
