FLASH
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The candidacy of Fredi Beller for the MEP of the European Parliament has divided Greek politics.
Electing a person with a dark past who is serving a two-year prison sentence on vote-buying charges is hardly without risks, the prestigious magazine Politico thinks, citing official sources in Greek politics.
The Foreign Ministry of Greece has shown strong reservations for Fredi Beleri, while it is being said that his election by the new democracy Kiriakos Mitsotakis was based on a delicate political calculation.
"The decision on Fredi Beleri's candidacy had to weigh the electoral benefits for the ruling party and the support of the right-wing patriotic spectrum within the 'New Democracy' Party on the one hand against relations with Albania and most of Greece's European partners on the other. The decision taken by the Greek Prime Minister shows that the scale was tilted in favor of the first factor", says Loukas Tsoukalis, professor at Sciences Po, Paris.
The Greek left is against Ferdi Beleri's candidacy for MEP of the European Parliament. Nikos Androulakis, head of the Socialist PASOK party, said that the New Democracy strategy hardly helps the Greek community in Himara.
"The Greek minority needs Beler as mayor of Himara. This should have been the government's priority, but Mitsotakis' agony to stop losing votes to right-wing parties made him handle things this way."
Others think that Greece's action to appoint Beler as a candidate for the EP was "populist, opportunistic and short-sighted".
Greece argues that Beleri's case should be seen as a European issue rather than a bilateral one, as it represents a concern for the rule of law in a country that aspires to join the EU.
Athens also insists that the path of Albania's accession to the EU should go through respecting the Greek minority.
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