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Among the 42 candidates for MEPs of the "New Democracy" party is the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, who is currently serving a 2-year sentence for buying votes during the 2023 local elections.
In April of this year, when the debate about the punishment of the elected mayor of Himara Fredi Beleri was at its peak, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the party he represents "New Democracy" officially proposed the name of Beleri as a candidate for Euro-deputy. The news sparked debate on both sides of the border, where the neighbors have technically still been under Martial Law since 1940. Mitsotakis was also criticized for his candidacy by his country's largest opposition party, SYRIZA, for the first time that a candidate for the European Parliament is in the cell.
"Beleri" – Pros and cons
"This is an unprecedented act, which has not happened before and I do not believe that it will bring any result in the expectations of Mr. Mitsotakis to wake up the sleeping Greek nationalist votes and even more so to realize the release of Mr. Beleri from prison If a part of the opposition made a mistake when they nominated Beler for mayor of Himara, Mitsotakis is making a second, even bigger mistake, by nominating him as a member of the European Parliament boomerang. There are hundreds of other honorable figures who have Albanian and Greek citizenship, who could be selected as candidates and would help the expansion of the electoral base of this party more than a problematic figure like Beleri" - says Arben Çejku to DW , former ambassador, head of the "Albanian Center for Good Governance".
For Marin Suli, representative of Omonia, Beler's candidacy is good news. "I see the candidacy of Mr. Beleri as a member of the European Parliament as a positive approach in relation to the democracy denied in Albania. Also, I see it as a normal process within a democratic and European country such as Greece, candidacy which originates from the proposal and passing through the filters of the candidates within the New Democracy and clear reading of the preliminary polls, which show Mr. Beleri as the winner, even with a large number of votes. Contrary to those who are skeptical, I believe that election is good news first for the opposition, but also for the Albanian people in general".
Braka: Beleri is being used by the Greek Prime Minister's party
Panajot Barka has worked for years as a correspondent from Albania for the Greek News Agency. Beleri's personal stance on the issue has cost him his job. "Beleri as an individual and presented as a defender of the rights of the Greek ethnic minority, is used by the party of the Greek Prime Minister to create a shield preventing the flow of votes of this party towards the extreme right. So, an issue which was promoted as a "Greek national asset", is used for internal political and ideological purposes. This has sparked a strong political debate in Greece. First, both it and the political group that represents, they do not have the real support of this minority. But even if we accept this, then the protection of these rights takes place here, by this minority, and not by exporting it, even to the European Parliament second, New Democracy's published intention to run identifies Beler with the extreme right, even with significant influence there. This hurts the minority a lot!" – says Barka for Deutsche Wellen.
Christopoulos: Beleri didn't come out of nowhere
For the expert of political sciences, human rights and minorities, Dimitris Christopoulos, at the same time dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the "Panteion" University in Athens, the expression: 'It takes two people to dance the tango', best fits this situation .
"Of course, Mitsotakis bears his own personal responsibility for the selection of Beler to the European Parliament, but this decision must be seen in the context of the previous actions of both parties. If Beler were not in prison, he would never be a candidate So, if we want to be fair about this issue, then no one is innocent. Although sharing the responsibilities does not mean that both sides have the same amount of responsibility. The "Belerization" of Greek-Albanian relations is mainly an initiative of Athens . And if we really want to understand what is happening in the region today, we must read impartially and without national passions what happened in Himara during the last century and especially after the end of the Cold War. Himara turned into the battleground of clashes between Greek and Albanian nationalism. We are paying for this today. Albania must accept that there are Greeks in Himare who are looking for their properties. This doesn't help the plan to turn Himara into a mega-tourist paradise, but it's not the end of the world. Beleri didn't come out of nowhere. If we really want to understand who made him a strong political figure, then we say both sides, the Greek side and the Albanian side".
Deutsche Welle also contacted representatives of the Greek government and opposition on the matter, but they did not respond to our request for comment.
Legal or political trial?
Që nga çastet e para pas arrestimit të Fredi Belerit në Himarë, nga vetë ai por dhe përfaqësues të pakicës greke në Shqipëri, është pretenduar për një proces të montuar politik. Këto pretendime janë hedhur vazhdimisht poshtë nga kryeministri Rama, i cili ka këmbëngulur se çështja "Beleri” i përket vetëm gjyqësorit.
"Ne tashmë nuk kemi më pretendime, por kemi prova shkresore dhe shkencore të dhëna nga vetë SPAK-u, që zt. Beleri është viktimë e një procesi politik të montuar dhe të manipuluar nga zt. Rama” -thotë Marin Suli. Sipas tij prokuroria ka falsifikuar dokumente dhe ka shkelur hapur ligjin. Besimi i vetëm që ata kanë, sipas Sulit, është gjykata e Strasburgut.
"Nëse kryeministri shqiptar do të donte që bota të besonte se kjo është një çështje gjyqësore, ai duhet të përmbahej me deklaratat që thoshte në televizion kundrejt Belerit, pak ditë para se Beleri të arrestohej. Unë nuk jam në pozitën për të ditur se çfarë ka ndodhur në të vërtetë, por ajo që di është se praktika të tilla për të cilat u burgos kryebashkiaku i zgjedhur i Himarës, nuk janë të rralla në Shqipëri. Le flasim seriozisht … unë jam i fundit që do të thosha që kryetari i Bashkisë Himarë është i pafajshëm. Sidoqoftë në Shqipëri ka shumë të tillë që janë ende të lirë dhe të suksesshëm. Ky është problemi. Nga ana tjetër, Athina mban një përgjegjësi madhore për promovimin e një personi të tillë për të mbrojtur interesat e pakicave. Faji i dytë madhor i diplomacisë greke është pritshmëria që Bashkimi Europian dhe Shtetet e Bashkuara të Amerikës do t'i respektojnë pretendimet e Athinës për këtë çështje. Por kjo nuk është kështu dhe tashmë jemi në një ngërç” – analizon profesor Christopoulos.
Për ish-diplomatin Çejku, akuza për blerje votash duhet hetuar e dënuar, por ai heq paralele me të kaluarën, kur personazhe të mazhorancës aktuale qeverisëse janë akuzuar për blerje votash në përmasa edhe më madhore, por nuk janë dënuar. "Mos vallë ai u kap pikërisht sepse "bleu pak vota”, ndërkohë që personazhe të tjera të mazhorancës "kanë blerë shumë vota” dhe ndoshta për këtë "meritë” as nuk hetohen as nuk dënohen? Në anën tjetër, gjykoj se Greqia u nxitua në përfshirjen dhe ndërhyrjen e saj, duke paragjykuar që në fillim hetimet dhe procesin gjyqësor. Athina duhej të mjaftohej me monitorimin e procesit dhe në fund, bazuar mbi fakte, të hartonte një raport mbi të gjitha pretendimet. Por, me reagimet e shpeshta emocionale, deklaratat politike në distancë, hetimi dhe gjykimi ndaj zt. Beleri ra në kurthin e një procesi juridik të paragjykuar e të politizuar. Se kush e politizoi më shumë këtë, do të jenë të tjerë që do ta analizojnë në të ardhmen, por ndërhyrjet pa takt të Athinës zyrtare nuk sollën asnjë dobi as për Belerin dhe as për klimën e marrëdhënieve mes dy vendeve”.
Ngërç i (pa) zgjidhshëm?
For Panajot Barka, the election of Beler would further complicate the relations between Albania and Greece, especially in relation to the European Union. "Beleri with three criminal convictions, two for ethnic issues on both sides of the border and one now for electoral corruption, creates a handicap or a deadlock, not easily overcome".
"I think that any act that undermines democracy, the freedom of human rights and the Constitution of the country, makes Albania's European path difficult. In this particular case, serious violations of a part of the population that enjoys dual citizenship, the Albanian one, are involved. and Greek" - argues Marin Suli.
However, Prime Minister Rama expressed his determination a little while ago, when he was asked about the obstacles that Greece may set again for the country's EU membership. "I don't believe that the concern of Greece will continue until 2030 and if this job will remain in Beleri, let us be done, let us never join the EU".
"Over the last years, the Greek behavior towards the Albanians in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania has provoked and cultivated a lack of trust on the Albanian side. I do not hesitate to say that Athens bears a higher weight of responsibility in this escalation, being stronger and the one from which more prudence is expected. The Albanian side now feels that it has the power to react through national pride. I understand, however, that a well-intentioned national pride can easily be transformed in fierce nationalism and arrogance. And these are not good "advisors" in international relations. Greece and Albania have more and more good reasons to find an agreement and start a new chapter. There are much more important things to deal with in the future" - concludes Christopoulos./DW
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