Selenica: A Victory of the Democratic Party in Albania might be preferable for Kurti

Gert Selenica, Chief News Editor at RTA 1 in Tirana, says that the outcome of Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Albania will undoubtedly have an impact on Kosovo. However, he emphasizes that this is more about the personal relationships between leaders than about political platforms.

According to him, for the government of Kosovo led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, a victory by the Democratic Party, that is, the opposition, might be more desirable.

"I have the impression it would be the same if we were to ask Edi Rama whose victory he would prefer in Kosovo. There is a perception that there is a certain 'chill' in his personal relationship with Mr. Kurti. However, this has not affected institutional functioning at all—joint meetings of governments and parliaments have continued, as has the signing of agreements. We must not forget that under Rama's government, several joint meetings of the two governments were held, both in Albania and in Kosovo, during which very important decisions were made for citizens, especially entrepreneurs," Selenica notes.

He adds that there is a perception that former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is more popular in Kosovo than Rama, but underlines that this is a public perception.

As for the Albanian government's support to Kosovo, he states that he believes Prime Minister Rama has done quite a lot.

"At every meeting he attended, even within the Western Balkans, he was a strong advocate of the Kosovo issue and urged all states that had not yet recognized Kosovo to do so as soon as possible. He also encouraged Kosovo to align with EU policies and called on Brussels to pay special attention to Kosovo and the steps that Pristina must take to get closer to the European Union. Rama did this both when representatives of the Kosovo government were present at such meetings and when they were not. He has said several times that it would be easier for Kosovo and Albania to exist as two states under the same 'EU roof' than to unite into one state. So, despite the perception, I believe that Rama’s government—and he personally as prime minister—has been very close to the government in Kosovo and to the process of state-building in Kosovo," Selenica emphasizes.

Regarding the election campaign in Albania, he notes that Kosovo has not been sufficiently included in political discussions, as the campaign has been marked by tense rhetoric and focused on the personal relations between leaders.

"However, Mr. Berisha has promised during his campaign rallies that he will cancel the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative. Kosovo was mentioned only briefly in Mr. Rama’s speeches and statements, but we must not forget that in his discussions about Albania’s potential EU membership by 2030, the prime minister emphasized his strong desire for Albania to have Kosovo by its side, to pull it along, so that official Tirana could serve as the locomotive of this process," Selenica concludes.