Former Albanian PM Berisha Accuses EU Head of Balkans in Brussels

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – A day after strong accusations against EU officials in Albania, former PM and founder of democratic party Sali Berisha slammed EU Director for Western Balkans over his ‘cheap’ bargaining with some opposition groups to enter parliament.

“The EU director came to Tirana with a mission to destroy the opposition. You told them to grab the mandates. I tell this man that either you came to Albania as a member of the 4700 euro a square meter gang, or you came as a member of the cannabis club. You were unwise,” – said Berisha referring to Eduard Auer, Head of the Western Balkans Division at the European External Action Service in Brussels.

Auer who works under Eu top diplomat Federica Mogherini met with DP’s main opposition allies during a visit in Tirana on the 6th of April. During his meeting with Vangjel Dule, Dashamir Shehi and Fatmir Mediu, Mr. Auer had suggested the smaller parties could benefit from an eventual DP boycott of elections, getting more seats in parliament if the democrats refuse to enter elections planned for June 18.

Two days ago, a representative of the opposition block of Albania, Vangjel Dule who chairs the Greek minority party PBDNJ in the country said foreign diplomats were trying to influence internal politics of Albania in favor of the country’s prime minister Edi Rama.

“We were told by these foreign diplomats in the presence of 4-5 smaller opposition parties representatives that this may be a good opportunity for us to enter elections as in the absence of DP, we could get more mandates in parliament.” – said Dule who could not hide his dismay at what he had heard inside the protest tent in Tirana.

Later on, opposition chair Lulzim Basha accused prime minister Edi Rama of seeking to capture the justice machine of Albania in order to protect his friends and crime with the help of certain EU officials.

“The Vetting process has turned into a mafia style project, where high level diplomats on Edi Rama’s payroll have been involved. They have also implicated and taken hostage EU experts and the time will soon come for them to be held democratically accountable at a relevant democratic institution such as the European Union,” – said a visibly angry Basha to his DP militants today in Tirana.

While the opposition is boycotting parliament, justice reform is in deadlock, prompting prime minister Rama to point the finger at the Democratic Party who “refuses to come to parliament because they fear the vetting process”.

The European Union has conditioned membership talks for Albania on the implementation of justice reform and has warned that it does not support a parliamentary boycott.