Edi Rama with Nikos Dendias, Octobber 2020, Tirane
No matter how strong the western intervention for the Religious Harmony in Albania, the latest strategic tendencies of the electoral policies of the two major parties SP and PD, do not exclude the possibility of the involvement of large communities, including the religious ones, as a crucial element for won the election. Involvement in the electoral debate of Turkey but also of Greece, can divide the Albanian electorate, in the north and south, or in the Turkish Muslim branch or the Greek Orthodox branch.
Stavri Marko
Journalist
The recent reform of the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama was called by the unofficial leader of the opposition Sali Berisha, as an open attempt of Rama, for the creation of the "Government of the South" and especially, the emphasis was placed on the Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi, representing one of the largest prefectures of Korca, even one of the journalists attached to the DP, went even further, declaring in the opinion that "President Meta should look at the candidate for Minister of Defense, Peleshi, who has been an immigrant in Greece, and there may be affections against our national interests ", provoked a reaction from the American Ambassador in Tirana, Yuri Kim, who reacted on Twitter, congratulating important ministers who are candidates for the Rama government. And with that it seems as if the issues were closed, but we say that, no. The "geopolitical" crisis of the country divided into North and South, has another indicator, initially by the opposition PD.
In an analytical observation, of the last election of the Presidency of the Democratic Party and beyond, of its National Council, it seems that the religious element predominates to the maximum, eliminating the orthodox factor from the governing bodies of the Democratic Party. To put it more clearly, in the high forums of the PD, you can not see any orthodox, or any hidden, which has not happened in this political party, since its formation in 1991 or the signatories of the creation of the Democratic Party. The condition of the three religious communities, Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox, involved in the separation of powers, was conditioned by the Western powers Sali Berisha, when he came to power in 1992, although in 1997, Albania was endangered by a Civil War, with several thousand killed.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, we had an 8-year-old Rama's government, with elements of the religious factor as a priority, especially from the Muslim Community, where the vast majority of the government were Catholic. This was an election victory of Rama 8 years ago, in which the PD allies of the Catholic community, passed by the winners, the Socialist Party, funded by powerful lobbying of the Catholic business. So we have evidence to say that the use of the Religious in the elections has happened and won, while with the same strategy, today's opposition seeks to win, with a broad religious support, mainly Catholic Myslyms. Recent debates between opinion leaders on both sides, within Albania, are pushing towards reinforcing the idea that religious communities are a very important factor in electoral victory.
Are we on the verge of a "Lebanization" of Albania, whose elections will be dictated by both Turkey and Greece? Which of them will be dominant in determining the winner?
Edi Rama with Erdogan, Janary 2021, Ankara
Recent debates over Prime Minister Rama's visit to Turkey and Greece have given us a clear picture of what will happen with the political elections in Albania. I am referring more to the foreign press that Rama's preference for Turkey is related to two positions, both private and state, if we take into account that approvals in record time, construction of hospitals, airports, military bases, free clothing and weapons from Turkey, but also as the spiritual leader of the Muslims in Albania, Erdogan always speaks more and more about the Albanian-Turkish Ottomanism not only as a sentiment but also as a former empire territory, so always and further the Turkish presence, becomes pragmatism which is criticized on the one hand by the EU, ( but on the other hand it is tolerated by Merkel), as much as Rama himself, bursts out and declares that he will turn his eyes from the East, forgetting that Albania is part of a budget of about 6 billion euros per year as part of the South Balkans Assistance Package Western EU.
Greece, meanwhile, is quite cautious as it is in the expected fever after the elections in Albania, to wait for Rama's promise, for the Hague Tribunal, as you know Albania and Greece, have decided to face in The Hague for the 12 Marine Miles Declared by side of Greece. It is very clear that Greece can be a safe mechanism for Rama to win the elections, given that the Albanian electorate in Greece (about 850 thousand Albanians are the official figures of emigration to Greece) is sufficient and crucial for the victory of Rama, this happened 8 years ago when Rama lobbied strongly in Greece, despite the fact that the Greek-Albanian relations of the Rama government went through several times with serious incidents, such as Himara Issue property or the Katsifa case.
Edi Rama with Father Karloutsos, December 2020, Washington
It seems that the interests of Rama - Mitsotakis, Dendias, should have a clear background, trying to keep Turkey as far away as possible (!) And in return the vote factor from the Orthodox community and all Albanian emigrants, is a clear precedent for win the election. Let's not forget, because of the Covid Vaccine interesting, The Prime Minister Rama met in Washington late last year with the exponent of the Greek American Lobby and the American Orthodox Church, Father Karloutsos, an name known by Erdogan, whom he accuses of being applied in the Coup that supports Fethullah Gülen, but also for a guarantee from lobbying to President Biden, a diplomatic follow-up that ends up in Athens.
In this respect, the inevitable intensification in the application of political elections in Albania, by the Greek-Turkish factor, may cause a knockdown exit of Religious Harmony, if we look at the external rivalry, Turkey has strength in the Muslim Community (For which The Democratic Party, is working secretly with Turkey) and Greece to the Orthodox Community (Vorio Epiriotes) and the emigrant Albanians, for whom the interest of Athens necessarily coincides with that of Edi Rama's Tirana, the Socialist Party, thus in a typical formula of Lebanon, a country strongly influenced by Iran or Syria, Hezbollah or the Islamic community, Catholic or Orthodox communities assisted by the EU, France, Italy, etc. The Lebanization of Albania by the religious electoral factor is inevitable, but it can be with moderate methods and not so high intensity as to affect the stability of the country.
In this context, the elections of April 25 in Albania, will be influenced by the religious and territorial factor, directly with the Greek influence, as a guarantor component of the settlement of common interests, the Hague Tribunal for 12 nautical miles with Greece, and, the numerous votes for the Socialist Party from the southern, mostly emigrant, electorate in Greece.
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