Balkan Leaders: Edi Rama

Who better to start the new series off with than the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama? Charming and colorful, sometimes literally, direct yet eloquent, Rama has captured the imagination of those less in the know by telling Brussels like it is, and wearing sneakers while doing it.

In the eyes of those with a soft spot for the talented artist, towering basketball player and expert at showboating, Rama is perhaps the most charismatic of the Western Balkan leaders.

Yet, some in Albania would disagree.

Domestically, Rama has been accused of everything from corruption to nepotism and is said to have an abrasive public personality to boot.

From his time as the mayor of Tirana to his third stint as the most powerful official in the country, we will be taking a closer look at how Rama came to politics, what his ambitions are and whether he intends to rule Albania — and possibly the region — forever.

Guest: Gjergji Vurmo, senior researcher at IDM Tirana.

Supported by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Gesellschaftsanalyse und Politische Bildung e.V. – Ured u Bosni i Hercegovini with funds of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This publication or parts of it can be used by others for free as long as they provide a proper reference to the original publication.

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