By Ben Andoni
What remains unclear—at least on the surface—is how the Democratic Party (PD) managed to seal a lobbying contract with the American firm “Continental” that reportedly amounts to a staggering 6 million euros over two years. On the other hand, the fact that its officials have already signed it shows the initiative was well thought out. We must clarify that, as far as we know, the contract was signed by Flamur Noka, as the representative of the “Great Albania” coalition—paradoxically, though, many within the alliance are still unaware of the process! This was revealed just a few hours ago in an interview by one of Albania’s political figures, Mr. Agron Duka.
Most of PD’s energy over this period has gone into this endeavor, while the public was expecting greater effort to be put into rebuilding its collapsed grassroots and structures. And when one recalls how many PD members lamented that they would have to campaign with diaspora support and their own money, the contradiction becomes stark—fodder that Prime Minister Rama will surely use in the final campaign days. His narrative has the moral high ground, as this expenditure surpasses all previous lobbying efforts by any Albanian politician—including the Socialists—and frankly makes us all look absurd for spending beyond our means.
To date, there are no concrete examples of such lobbying efforts succeeding in removing “non grata” status. And more importantly, the power to reverse such sanctions is typically tied to complex diplomatic negotiations between governments. In this case, the effort is being promoted as a patriotic Albanian act, despite the fact that during the country’s darkest hour—following the earthquake—only a fraction (1/7) of this sum was raised.
For PD, the Rama government is framed as the true reason behind Berisha’s designation as persona non grata.
It’s worth noting that the Balkans are full of individuals with “non grata” status. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania all have their fair share of names on this infamous list of corruption—many of whom beat their chests in pride over it. Take Kryemadhi, the former head of the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), who appears utterly unfazed despite being under investigation.
Looking beyond the Albanian terrain:
Nikola Gruevski, former Prime Minister of North Macedonia, failed in his attempts to lift his U.S. “non grata” designation. In fact, the U.S. Department of State blacklisted both him and his immediate family for large-scale corruption, citing abuse of power, embezzlement of public funds, and electoral interference. Berisha faces a similar level of designation—first from the U.S., then the U.K. Gruevski has lived in Hungary since 2018, where he was granted political asylum in Budapest. He claims the Macedonian government lobbied the U.S. to place him on the list—just as Berisha claims the Rama government did the same to him.
Despite Gruevski’s efforts, he remains ineligible to enter the United States. While there are no clear examples of successful lobbying to remove individual “non grata” statuses, there have been recent developments in broader, more complex areas—such as humanitarian exemptions, foreign aid reform, and diplomatic efforts. The latter includes initiatives to strengthen diplomatic ties and engage with other countries, which may help address issues that led to a non grata status in the first place. The U.S. Senate has considered legislation supporting allies and countering hostile powers, underscoring the importance of diplomatic efforts in international relations.
But for individuals, the road remains long and fraught with obstacles—one that can shake even the strongest institutions, including in the United States, where principles are being increasingly challenged. As for Albania, the justice and electoral systems are murky, sluggish, and caught in the petty and deceitful traps of its own politicians.
In this case, with this high-stakes contract, PD has demonstrated it is far removed from the moral principles it claims it will restore if it comes to power after May 11.
(Javanews)
