Lela: Taravari would like to be the "Albin Kurti of North Macedonia"

Political analyst of the Politico portal in Tirana Alfred Lela assesses that the Albanian opposition bloc's presidential candidate, Arben Taravari, is trying to position himself as the "Albin Kurti of North Macedonia."

"Taravari has realized that Kurti's model of sovereignist and anti-Serbian politics had electoral results and influence in Kosovo, and he wants to replicate that in North Macedonia. So, his goal is to be the 'Albin Kurti' of North Macedonia," Lela told Kosovo Online.

Lela says that this is evident from Taravari's pre-election promise to seek North Macedonia's exit from the Open Balkan initiative once he assumes the presidency.

This analyst reminds that this is election rhetoric that aligns with the views and policies of the Kosovo Prime Minister.

"I think the main reason for this promise is that Taravari believes it will bring him electoral gains. Every politician keeps the electorate in mind when making statements. Taravari believes that such a promise could earn him more votes in the next elections. I don't see another reason unless it could be a 'diversion' for reasons only he knows, which we can only understand in the future," Lela stated.

He emphasizes that the biggest dilemma is how many votes the Albanian coalition "VLEN" will receive because this will also determine the bloc's influence in post-election coalitions.

"Taravari can influence and condition the largest partner in the coalition only if he is in the position of a 'kingmaker,' that is, the one who determines who will be in the government. In any case, I don't see Taravari as a major partner but rather as one of the smaller partners. It seems very difficult for him to condition his Macedonian partners to change their policy. It is an equation with several unknowns," Lela points out.

Explaining this "equation with multiple unknowns," Lela says that some parties in North Macedonia are playing the card that the Open Balkan initiative hasn't taken off across the entire Western Balkans, leading many to believe it is "Serbia's initiative."

Therefore, Lela believes, such a promise appeals to Albanian voters.

"At first glance, it looks like an enticing promise, playing with the Open Balkan, which is accepted in only half of the Western Balkan countries, and even fewer. Only Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania are involved in this initiative. It seems that even Edi Rama recently took a step back, leaving only two countries committed to this initiative. That's why the Open Balkan looks more like Serbia's initiative. Therefore, it is very important what North Macedonia's attitude will be towards this initiative. For this reason, I said it's an equation with multiple unknowns," Lela emphasized.