Berisha meets with Albanian immigrants in Athens, Greek media: Rama concerned about political future

The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, has announced a meeting with Albanian emigrants in Athens on February 23, in the context of the May 11 elections, where for the first time emigrants living abroad will also vote.

This meeting has attracted the attention of the Greek media, which have also commented on it in relation to the Greek minority in Albania and the arrest of the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri. The Greek media describe this case as a provocation and a scenario fabricated by the government of Edi Rama.

According to reports, there are around 450,000 Albanians living in Greece, and so far 69,000 of them have registered to vote by mail. Registration on the voting platform will be open until March 4.

Greek media have also made a comparison between the arrest of Erion Veliaj and Rama's stance on the Beleri case, emphasizing that the Albanian prime minister has defended Veliaj, while for Beleri he has ignored the presumption of innocence.

Article from the Greek media:

A few days ago, a closed-door meeting between prominent residents of Northern Epirus and representatives of the press took place in central Athens. Inevitably, the discussion led to the May 11 parliamentary elections in Albania, the outcome of which is theoretically expected to benefit the Greeks (officially the Greek National Minority) who have lived for millennia in this unique corner of the Balkan Peninsula.

"I'm not saying that Berisha will be the best for us and our issues, I'm saying that anyone other than Rama will be better for us,"  commented one of the dinner guests who has personal experience and excellent knowledge of Albanian issues.

On Sunday, February 23, Sali Berisha will deliver his campaign speech at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Berisha is not a political figure. He served as president and prime minister of Albania, is the leader of the center-right Democratic Party (from which he was expelled in 2022 and whose leadership he resumed in 2024), is French-speaking, was one of the personal doctors of the dictator Enver Hoxha, was declared persona non grata (persona non grata only last November, accused of various things in the US). Now, at the age of 80, he is seeking a return to the prime ministership after 12 years.

Besides the fact that many Albanians living in Greece are considered friendly to the Democratic Party and therefore have characteristics of political mobilization, Berisha's speech is also part of the context to convince as many Albanians in the diaspora as possible to register on the postal voting platform and thus exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections. Last year, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama gave similar speeches in Athens and Thessaloniki.

In our country, according to data from Greek ministries, around 450 thousand Albanians reside legally, while the authorities in Tirana consider the largest number. So far, 69 thousand of them have registered on the postal voting platform.

It is worth noting that postal voting concerns all members of the Greek national minority who are registered on the electoral lists, as well as Albanians residing in Greece (or abroad). The registration platform will remain open until March 4.

It is recalled that Mr. Berisha had denounced the arrest and imprisonment (syri.tv) of the elected mayor of Himara and current New Democracy MEP, Fredi Beleris, describing it as a provocation and a case raised by the Rama regime.

"Numbness"

In any case, the political climate on the eve of the eleventh parliamentary elections since the fall of Hoxha's totalitarian regime is unique. And this is because certain events have caused numbness and irritation in Mr. Rama, who has led the country continuously since 2013.

The first event concerns the hiring of Chris Lacivitas as the Democratic Party's election campaign manager. He is one of the main advisors and shapers of US President Donald Trump's election campaign. The message that Lacivita brought to Albania is not open to misinterpretation.

"We are here because we want to help elect a prime minister (ed.: Berisha) who is a true friend of the United States and who will work successfully with President Trump," said the American advisor and added: "The current prime minister (ed.: Rama) is nothing more than a puppet of George Soros. You cannot be a puppet of George Soros and a friend of the US. It is simply not possible."

The second event was the arrest of the Socialist mayor of Tirana, Erion Velijai, a close friend of Mr. Rama and, according to some, his possible successor as party leader.

Angry reaction

The angry reaction of the Albanian prime minister, who was announced about Velijai's arrest during a live broadcast on Instagram, is indicative of the situation prevailing in the government camp.

Sources from Tirana told Manifest that the arrest of the mayor – who was accused of the city's incinerator and the 5D scandal – had been rumored for days. However, the arrest and the various indictments came as a surprise.

At first, Mr. Rama attempted to defend the mayor by recalling the presumption of innocence that he had so provocatively “forgotten” in the Beleris case, while also accusing the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Later, the Albanian prime minister is said to have claimed that the arrest is a sign of the independence of the Albanian judiciary.

Experienced observers of internal developments in Albania explained in "Manifesto" that despite the developments, the conditions for defeat in the elections have not yet been met, but from his reactions, it seems that he is very concerned about his political future.