FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiRama is furious, writes The Economist, because SPAK is lurking behind his door, removing allies one by one and attacking the government.
For Edi Rama, these are the best of times and the worst of times, but mostly the best. In May, the Albanian prime minister was elected for his fourth consecutive term.
The war in Ukraine has accelerated Albania's years-long bid to join the European Union, along with those of Ukraine and other candidate countries. European officials say negotiations could be concluded as early as 2027 and Albania could join by 2030.
At the same time, Albania's population has shrunk from 2.9 million to 2.4 million during Rama's term.
Corruption remains widespread, and SPAK, the country's independent anti-corruption authority, has indicted some of his closest allies. The mayor of Tirana is running the city from a prison cell. And there are allegations that the ruling party used fines and administrative pressure to push people to vote for them in May.
" Lies! " Rama replies.
No Albanian leader has ever been so well-known abroad.
Rama speaks warmly of “Viktor” (Orban), the right-wing prime minister of Hungary, and has good relations with leftists like Pedro Sánchez of Spain and Mette Frederiksen of Denmark. He has collaborated with Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing populist prime minister of Italy, on her stalled plan to send asylum seekers to camps in Albania.
On November 13 in Rome, the two governments signed 16 agreements on topics ranging from energy to security.
However, Rama is furious. SPAK recently filed charges against Belinda Balluku, his deputy prime minister, on suspicion of rigging a tender for an infrastructure project. She denies the charges. Rama says he does not know if she is guilty, but condemns the court’s decision to suspend her from office: “ This is unheard of in the history of Europe! ”
After SPAK imprisoned the mayor of Tirana on corruption charges (which he denies), Rama tried to remove him from office. The courts blocked it, forcing the mayor to run the city from prison. Rama considers this absurd. He calls the anti-corruption authority “inexperienced, sometimes overzealous and sometimes just plain wrong. But it is part of the process,” he adds. Albania, he says, is building an independent judicial system.
If his allies expect to be saved, they are mistaken: "I am not married to them."
One reason for Rama’s stated commitment to the rule of law is the lure of EU membership. But that requires the approval of all 27 member states. Some skeptics doubt the purity of Albania’s governance. Meanwhile, many on the populist right oppose admitting what would be the first Muslim-majority country in the EU, on nativist grounds.
Good relations with Orban and Meloni may not be enough. Rama says he is reaching out to the leaders of the French far-right party, the National Rally, but they remain firmly opposed to admitting new states.
Rama says he would temporarily waive Albania's veto power over EU proposals and surrender the right to have a European commissioner if it would help him win over skeptics. In the meantime, he is building other bridges. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, has received approval to build a seaside resort in Albania.
Rama is also approaching the Gulf countries.
“ Their desire for culture is amazing ,” he says.
" What Florence did for Europe in the Renaissance is what they are doing for the world today."
When trying to join a club, it's wise to imply that you have other options./ The Economist
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