Why did Berisha and the revolution’s “shareholders” get furious with the EU and the U.S.?!

By Jakin Marena

The visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Tirana and the round of meetings by the new U.S. ambassador, Erik Wendt, with Prime Minister Rama has caused an “earthquake” not only in the opposition’s ranks, but also among these revolutionaries, or more precisely the “shareholders” of the revolution who have been making the evening rounds on the capital’s central boulevard for more than three months!

For whole months they had “trained” themselves with the idea that Rama is isolated from our international partners, especially the U.S. and EU member states, while they had begun counting on their fingers the days until the socialist prime minister would be toppled from power, how they would divide power, what posts they would take, what level of pre-politics they would reach!

But in the middle of Tirana, this Wednesday, it was the president of the European Commission who publicly not only appeared at a joint press conference alongside Prime Minister Rama, but also gave the highest praise for the government’s work, announcing that the EU is now ready to welcome Albania’s membership!

Von der Leyen declared the opposite of what they had hoped for here in Tirana, while at the “railings” in front of the prime minister’s office these revolutionaries left over from what was once called the “Flaming Revolution” clashed with police in an attempt to catch the EC president’s eye, to “inform” her that Rama should be in prison! Albeit without success.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Sali Berisha has taken to the roads of Europe in his feverish effort to blacken Albania, as he himself said through a public video message, accusing his own country in the middle of Strasbourg, calling it “the only narco-state in the middle of Europe.” Accusations that not even Albania’s fiercest enemies, at any time, have managed or dared to articulate against our country!

Berisha has done and keeps doing this “blackening” of Albania in the eyes of the world non-stop, whenever he travels as Albania’s representative to Strasbourg or Brussels! He did the same this time too, even “sending” Agasi to Strasbourg along with the accusation that NATO secrets leaked around the world because of de-conspiration by the former head of SHISH! Despite the fact that on the same day, the EC president publicly declared that next week “we review the EU enlargement policy! A roadmap for Albania, we will determine what remains to be done and the deadlines.” But she also confirmed that Albania has fulfilled 80% of the Growth Plan reforms, has received 213 million euros, while other payments will come in the following weeks! The EU is unlikely to “open its purse” for a corrupt government or a narco-state!

Meanwhile Von der Leyen calls Albania’s integration a done deal since “the Albanian government has done a fantastic job,” while underlining that membership will not only make Albania stronger, but also the EU. But she also praised Albania’s progress in the fight against corruption and crime, emphasizing that this remains one of the main pillars of the European integration process. When asked by journalists about corruption among senior officials, Von der Leyen said it is an indicator that justice is working. And what angered Berisha, the opposition as a whole and the boulevard revolutionaries most of all was the EC president’s statement underlining that she values Rama for the reforms toward the EU and that he is working hard to turn the European dream into reality!

It was these strong public assessments of the socialists’ governance and above all of Prime Minister Rama by the head of the European Commission that infuriated Berisha and the opposition, as well as the group organizing the protest on the boulevard, together with Goni, Qori and Lapaj inside it! And above all the news that the EU is reviewing a plan under which Albania and the candidate countries could have commissioners in Brussels before membership, while it has been decided that the new strategy will be presented on October 6 of this year, was the achievement that destabilized them and knocked them completely off the “rails”!

Besides Berisha, who has increased the dose of “blackening” Albania, calling it “the only narco-state in Europe,” while even dealing with personal names as in the attempt to explain to MEPs who Ergys Agasi from Durrës is, in Tirana this Thursday the head of the DP group also reacted. Bardhi commented on the statement by EC President Von der Leyen, who a day earlier said that corruption investigations against officials clearly show that the justice system is working. The DP’s number two declared that internationals’ assessments “are not always objective,” while expressing deep disappointment and underlining that Von der Leyen cannot stay silent when Rama says he has not obstructed justice.

“I do not expect an international to say: what you say is not true. That is what they told me about Hyseni too. I said in the session that she is Agasi’s soldier. Von der Leyen would say, she is the excellent model of a security official in an EU candidate country. The truth often comes late, but it comes out. We will be here and many other things will shame whoever stands beside Rama. The Albanian state does not function. If it functioned, a responsible prime minister, when a deputy comes out and says that Vlora Hyseni is serving Ergys Agasi, would raise the state to its feet to say whether this accusation stands or not.

European standards make Albania European; Gysi does not make Albania European. How can you accept someone telling you a lie to your face and you bow your head? It shows you are not telling the truth, not to Albanians, but to Europeans too. We will always tell the truth. Whether partners listen to us or not, that has zero importance for me. For me it matters to defend the interest of Albanian citizens. These people, the only meeting point that links them is Rama’s office,” the head of the DP group directly accused the President of the European Commission, only and solely because she praised the work of the Rama government and declared that Albania’s EU membership is certain!

Meanwhile on social networks, but also yesterday at the protest in front of the prime minister’s office during the Rama–Von der Leyen meeting and the joint press conference, the revolution’s “shareholders” have not failed to express disappointment about these meetings, and above all about the EC’s highest praise for Rama and the Albanian government’s work toward EU membership, where Albania now ranks at the top of the priority countries! The “revolutionaries” have even, as if by chance, thrown into public the accusation that Europe must make up its mind — is it with the Albanian people or with dictators — since, according to the “revolutionaries,” Albanians do not want Europe only on paper!

But from Berisha, “non grata” in the U.S., to the “Revolution,” they have also been left disappointed by U.S. Ambassador Erik Wendt, who met Prime Minister Edi Rama at the prime minister’s office, conveying the Trump government’s message that Albania is a very important partner country! It was the U.S. Embassy in Tirana that announced that during the meeting they discussed deepening cooperation in defense and strengthening the fight against organized crime.

“A strong partnership is measured by what two nations achieve together. Ambassador Eric Wendt met today with Prime Minister Edi Rama to discuss deepening defense cooperation, expanding trade and investment, and strengthening the fight against organized crime,” the embassy wrote. It also reflected the meeting with Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha, underlining that “from President Wilson’s support for an independent Albania to our cooperation today, as NATO allies, we continue to expand cooperation in trade, energy security and people-to-people ties, strengthening peace and stability across the Western Balkans.” A maximum assessment from the U.S., while Berisha feels rejected!

Meanwhile, the opposition as a whole feels disappointed with our big partners, the U.S., the EU and the United Kingdom, also because in the case of the dismissal and arrest of the head of SHISH, Vlora Hyseni, none of them gave any public statement, even a routine one, of the type “we support SPAK in the fight against corruption, organized crime and ending impunity for senior officials”! Not even the partner services, which shows that the intelligence service institution has not been damaged by the recent events!

These are big disappointments with our big partners, to the point of fury on the part of Berisha, the opposition and the Marxist revolutionaries, mixed with radical political Islam, of course “alloyed” with Goni, Qori and Lapaj inside too. Since they had prepared to take some governing post, hoping Rama would be toppled by the U.S., the EU and Britain and “white” days would come for them too, who have been waiting in opposition for over 13 years!

Gonja has long continued “training” in front of the mirror and the cameras on the boulevard, asking himself and those around him whether he will become prime minister. They cannot come by votes, so they stay hoping Rama will fall by himself or by the allies! This time too the allies have disappointed them, by valuing Rama, so the fury keeps growing! Nobody forgives you success! On the contrary!