TIRANA, May 16/ATA/ –The appointment with Edi Rama is at two in the afternoon. On time, the Albanian Socialist Prime Minister establishes a video call from his office in Tirana, almost two months after a long-awaited announcement that came in the middle of the coronavirus crisis: the green light of the Twenty-seven for the beginning of the accession negotiations of his country and North Macedonia with the European club, writes Irene Savio for the Spanish newspaper “El Periodico”.
In the midst of such a paradox, Rama – a listed artist who exhibited in renowned galleries in New York and Paris, who arrived at the position in 2013 and was confirmed in 2017 – is neither excited nor disappointed. He smiles little, oblivious even to his own extravagances, like the brightly colored drawings that appear on loose papers piled on his desk.
In March, he complained about the selfish attitude of many countries in the covid crisis. Do you think it is a fight between rich and poor countries?
What happened in the beginning was a clear example of the extent to which Europe is fragmented and lacks the capacity to act together in the face of multiple common challenges. This crisis may still worsen and we have not yet reached a common understanding. I hope that is reason enough for us to start thinking differently. We can talk about rich and poor countries, but it is more about understanding the importance of acting together. In Europe there are richer states than others, but these too are too small on the global table.
Will the European project be strengthened or will it collapse after the covid?
I think it will never collapse because it is an incredible project and the only alternative. The problem is not the project itself, but rather that it is unfinished.
Are you Eurosceptic?
No, I am not; I criticize the organization as it is now.
Are you afraid that this crisis will end up altering adhesion?
Obtaining membership will not be part of the discussion in the near future. It will take many years to get there. A separate issue is that this crisis leaves many questions open, such as the fact that many rich countries have reacted worse than smaller ones.
Do you have an explanation?
We were among the first to decree the mass confinement, we were aware of our weaknesses and we did not trust that it would not happen to us.
His Government has established very harsh measures, including amending the Penal Code to punish those who skip quarantine. Wasn’t he too overbearing?
This is not true. We were one of the few countries without pandemic regulations. So we introduced two new paragraphs in our code. Nothing exceptional. And now we are in a pretty good situation: we have no one in need of respirators, less than 30% of hospital beds are occupied, and the death toll is very low.
The Albanian president went on to say that the country could be a new North Korea
We are a young, adolescent democracy, I would say, and we have a very passionate, sometimes extreme, black and white, hate or love way of discussing. We are still in the process of maturing, because for centuries we have had neither democratic institutions nor rules. That said, if we were really North Korea you wouldn’t be talking to me. We were North Korea during the era of communism [until 1992], and nobody wants that anymore.
You are right that it is not my case: I am interviewing you. But Reporters Without Borders accused him of wanting to control the media in his country.
I don’t have a bad relationship with the media; they have it with me: they don’t always like that I can say what I think, when they say what they want.
I understand that the discord is due to a proposed law.
I have asked that we have rules for online media, as there are for traditional ones. Nothing else. We live in a difficult time in which many people, in the name of freedom of expression, do a lot of damage with accusations not based on factual facts.
What will happen to this regulation?
We don’t have it yet. We have sent the draft to the Venice Commission precisely because there was a great controversy and because, you know, when you hear about Albania in Spain, you tend to think of the worst. But our proposal is much less harsh than the ones they have in France or Germany, and finally the final version will probably be watered down. But that’s life. The powerful and rich always find a way. The poor and young have to obey the rules, and even when they obey, problems arise with them.
What does it mean?
That this legislation is much less severe than the German one, and that if we had adopted a law like theirs, the Germans would have quarantined us.
So is it better to belong to the EU, to be part of something bigger?
It depends. If you are Switzerland, better not be part of this. But if you are Albania, you have no other options.
Many Albanians migrate. Are you concerned?
I do not know any country in Europe, with few exceptions, that is foreign to this phenomenon. It happens with Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, everyone. It is normal. There is nothing we can do, because young people who come from the most remote areas want to have opportunities right away. I don’t see it as a tragedy. It is a phenomenon of our time.
Albania is often spoken of by its mafias. Are you afraid that they could be reinforced by the pandemic?
There is no Albanian mafia. In Albania there are organized criminal groups, yes, but there is no underground power that can, directly or indirectly, act. They don’t control anything. Furthermore, these are difficult times for them: lately we have carried out large seizure operations.
These gangs also operate outside the borders of their country.
True. And without bureaucracy. They are part of international groups. In fact, the ‘European Crime Union’ is more united and faster and more sophisticated. But I don’t know if these groups will be able to take advantage of the pandemic. In Albania they are very weak.
Hey, one last curiosity: are you still drawing?
With one hand and eye I draw, and with the others I take care of the prime minister’s job.
