Notes from the Texas convention in the USA

By Pëllumb Kulla

Richard Macgreen, a close friend of Fatmir Mehdiu — the man who, after a long and exhausting effort, had brought the Albanian guests to the American Republicans’ convention — kept notes with impressions from President Trump’s speech.

Then Macgreen’s notes fell somewhere, were found by others, and made their way around.

He had noticed that, happily, the President referred clearly and often to the presence of Albanians in the hall and to political life in the land of the eagles.

First he thanked the participants, including those who had made possible this gathering of delegates from all the countries of the world. (Here a massive turning of heads was seen toward the place where, at the back of the hall, Macgreen, Mehdiu and His Excellency Sali Berisha were seated.)

Then President Trump, somewhere around the middle of his speech, demonstrated that he is not at all indifferent toward the political forces that are trying but have terribly prolonged the transition in Albania.

He began by saying that the main danger on our planet was the return of communism and drug trafficking. Those present immediately understood that Mr. Trump had Prime Minister Edi Rama in mind with these sharp arrows.

This caused a long applause to erupt (the last to stop applauding was Mr. Berisha, who — had Fatmiri not lowered his hands — would have continued even longer).

Mr. Trump went on to say that progressive forces must step up their efforts to prevail themselves, and only the ignorant delegates filling the hall failed to understand that he was clearly speaking about Mr. Berisha’s party.

Trump also gave moral support to the small progressive forces, and only just stopped short of uttering the names of Mehdiu, Qorri, Lapaj and especially Agron Shehaj.

President Trump referred to Mr. Berisha once more when he mentioned the word “Renewal”. It was quite moving, because the moment renewal was uttered, the gazes of all the American Republican delegates immediately turned to the back row of the hall, where — for lack of seats — Fatmir Mehdiu had made a bit of room for Berisha on his chair.