Rajic: Rama staying in power is good for Serbian interests

Analyst Predrag Rajic believes that Edi Rama’s victory in the Albanian elections was expected, and that the Albanian electorate, which is strongly pro-American, sensed that Rama has good ties with the US administration of Donald Trump, and that even those who were undecided likely chose to vote for Rama, making it a pragmatic vote from a portion of the Albanian electorate.

"Such a convincing victory may have been expected in the more optimistic circles within his party. We will see what the final results are once all the diaspora votes are counted, but it is certain that Rama will have a strong majority in parliament, will be able to form a government again, and will have a clear mandate in that sense, with strong support from the Albanian electorate," Rajic told Kosovo Online.

He describes Rama as a very capable man who gained momentum from Trump’s victory in the US, having connected with Trump in time.

"Even two years ago, Trump’s daughter and Grenell vacationed in Albania, and Rama visited them, spoke with them, and hosted them. Moreover, European partners, including those from the European People’s Party, who nominally supported Berisha, sent a message by scheduling the European Political Community summit in Tirana that Rama is a very acceptable and close partner to them. Rama is a welcome guest even in capitals where center-right parties are in power within the EU. Altogether, I believe this outcome is a combination of his strong party organization within Albania and the geopolitical circumstances that worked in his favor," Rajic said.

He notes that Rama, as Prime Minister of Albania, has been a fair partner to Serbia, as much as possible given the tensions surrounding Kosovo.

"These relations have essentially been correct. The ‘Open Balkan’ project has shown that he sees the situation differently, both compared to his opposition and to the authorities in Pristina. Of all Albanian political actors, he may be the only one with whom it’s possible to talk about certain issues where we might reach common ground. That likely won’t include Kosovo and Metohija, but it could include other topics important to the citizens of both Albania and Serbia. So, from that perspective, I believe it is in Serbia’s interest that he has won and will remain in power," Rajic said.

Regarding Kosovo, Rajic reminds that Rama is a rival to Kurti, but added that they appear to maintain a kind of cohabitation on issues of general Albanian interest, where they align on common positions.

"The fact that they are rivals is something that plays out within the Albanian political community. However, this time Kurti didn’t involve himself in the Albanian elections as much as he did four years ago, which suggests that even he realized Rama is too strong and that he lacks the resources to spread himself so thin. In Kosovo and Metohija, we will likely see new elections, and Kurti didn’t want to open a political front in Albania while being in a vulnerable position himself, where he would certainly lose and provoke Rama into escalating politically against him. I would say that in recent months, they have even had a somewhat more neutral relationship. There haven’t been the kind of fierce clashes that we have seen in previous years," Rajic pointed out.