Shahini: Diaspora sustains Kosovo's economy, but Kurti doesn't have their support

The Kosovo diaspora is more connected to its homeland than any other in Europe, but that doesn't mean Albin Kurti has their support, Agim Shahini, the President of the Business Alliance, says for Kosovo Online.

"If we look back, we will see that our diaspora has always supported Kosovo politicians or policies, both during the war in Kosovo and after the war in the economy. We still receive more than 1.4 billion euros annually from the diaspora, either through accounts, commercial banks, or more than a billion in cash from the diaspora, which comes twice a year for summer and winter holidays," Shahini explains.

He adds that these 2.5 billion euros sustain Kosovo's economy, as Kosovo imports 87% of goods for consumption with that money, but this does not mean that Kurti, as Prime Minister, has the diaspora's support.

"Kurti no longer has the support he had in 2019 and 2020 because our diaspora doesn't just listen to nice words, they also look at what has actually been done over these four years. Not a single new road has been started, there are no strategic investments, we even have fewer investments, and there's declining interest from investors to come to Kosovo. For the first time, we will remember the government and Prime Minister Kurti as the only ones who brought EU sanctions to Kosovo. That is why the diaspora sees things differently now and is no longer as attached to the Prime Minister as it once was," the President of the Business Alliance says.

He emphasizes that the concessions Kurti is making for the diaspora are "just propaganda" and that they have recognized this.

"Last time, Kurti had about 50% of the diaspora's votes. He no longer has that support and won't have it. He knows this, which is why he is trying to do something visual for the diaspora. However, they see it as propaganda, not something interesting to them," Shahini concludes.