The misleading influence of foreign officials in Albania

In the field of international relations, Tirana, the capital of Albania, emerges as the atypical example of hosting foreign diplomats who constantly interfere in Albania's internal politics. Looking at other European capitals, it is difficult to find behaviour of foreign diplomats similar to that of officials operating in Tirana. It is a recipe for disaster.

Diplomats and dignitaries representing the European Union, the European Commission and Western countries have a poor understanding of Albanian domestic politics. They do not understand that Tirana has become the European capital of electoral fraud, where Prime Minister Edi Rama has done everything possible to stay in power.

Albania is not a rich country; however, this has no correlation with the level of intelligence of its people or their appreciation of Western values. At the end of June 1991, hundreds of thousands of Albanians took to the streets of Tirana to greet Secretary of State James Baker. They could be heard chanting "U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Baker went on to implore Albanians that "freedom works" and encouraged the Albanian people to move towards democracy.

Albanians are not incompetent; they elect public officials based on their political preferences and foreign interference is unwelcome; diplomatic engagement in these matters always produces blowback.

It is clear that Albanians in Albania and Kosovo are very smart in electing their representatives, although foreign envoys have used all diplomatic tools against Albin Kurti in Kosovo and against high democratic standards in Albania. While Albin Kurti was elected for the second time in Kosovo, against the wishes of Western diplomats; in Albania, we have the re-election of Edi Rama for the third time, a somewhat successful outcome in the eyes of diplomats and an unfortunate consequence because Western envoys have allowed and certified a one-party electoral process in the heart of Europe. 

Albania's democratic transition has become a one-party system. Over the past decade, democratic processes have eroded under the noses of the very diplomats who mock Albanians.

Albanians appreciate genuine trust and sincere support from international partners; however, the current Western diplomats are tarnishing this trust and sincerity that was built immediately after Secretary Baker's official visit to Albania. It was a visionary statesman who welcomed Albania into the democratic world; today we are witnessing Albania's descent into the abyss of one-party rule.