The struggle to turn anti-Americanism into a normal political state in Albania

8 Prill 2023, 22:43Op-Ed Mero Baze

The real aim of Sali Berisha’s and Ilir Meta’s daily struggle against the United States is to turn anti-Americanism into a normal political state in Albania. Despite the expectations of many opposition politicians who hoped that Berisha would avoid confronting the US, he continues to insist on his anti-American struggle. Furthermore, he threatened even that he would wage a legal battle against the US Ambassador to Albania who, according to Berisha, has violated the electoral law.

It is rather obvious to every Albanian citizen that the recent statements of the US Ambassador have nothing to do with the electoral campaign and are focused on the official stance that US has towards Berisha. Therefore, it is the duty of the US Ambassador to make public and confirm her country’s stance whenever she is asked about it. Sali Berisha is well aware of this, even though it does not befit his interests. He wants for the people to get used to the idea of a daily anti-American struggle or, as he would have said during the days when he adhered to Albania’s Communist Party, the people must get used to the permanent revolution against the United States.

The same can be said regarding Ilir Meta. He is also trying to involve himself in the anti-American struggle by throwing the mayoral candidates in constant attacks against the US Ambassador. This is his way of showing the United States that they are not simply dealing with Sali Berisha or Ilir Meta, but rather with 61 of their people.

The sentiment has now spread like a virus to journalists who support Sali Berisha and appear to be experts of US politics, judging its mistakes in Albania, as if they were part of the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. This kind of normality regarding how Berisha’s political struggle against the US is perceived in Albania is one of the worst consequences of the political debate in our country. In a way, this has legitimized the anti-American struggle as an electoral battle in Albania, while harming the national consensus regarding the strategic alliance with the United States.

Sali Berisha is trying to relativize the United States’ alliance with Albania by creating the idea that the US can become part of the electoral battles in our country and hence one could vote against it. In order to achieve this, he is using all means at his disposal, including the dirty corrupt money, which allow him to survive financially in the fight against the US and fund entire media outlets and a whole political entourage that follows his every whim.

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