Andoni: Due to political tensions in the country, US elections sparsely covered by the media in Albania

Analyst Ben Andoni from Tirana states that the US presidential elections have been overshadowed by political tensions within Albania, and that some opposition parties hope that a Trump victory might change the country’s stance toward the opposition.

"The recent debates in the US, not just the confrontation between the main candidates, Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris, have been only partially followed, even though Albania has a large media presence. This happened because domestic political tensions have taken precedence over the US election coverage," Andoni told Kosovo Online.

He noted that both the ruling and opposition parties have a "strange approach" toward the Democratic and Republican candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

"There is a growing sense of optimism among the Albanian opposition regarding Mr. Trump’s potential return to office, as they believe his victory might lead to a reversal of the ‘persona non grata’ designation against Mr. Berisha by the United States. There’s hope that Trump will adopt an entirely new policy concerning the opposition in Albania," Andoni explained.

On the other hand, the ruling party, led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, recently opened the door to possible Trump family investments in one of Albania’s prime tourist destinations.

Andoni added that Albania and Serbia have relatively similar expectations regarding the elections.

"The approach in Kosovo is somewhat unusual, with a degree of skepticism about Mr. Trump’s victory because the former president had committed to a partial economic solution for Kosovo. This is also reflected in recent moves by Mr. Kurti, which seem to shift away from the essence of dialogue," Andoni concluded.