Former Finance Minister Arben Malaj opposed Prime Minister Edi Rama’s request for Albania to host the NATO summit, questioning the financial burden it would place on the country’s budget.
Speaking live on “Prime News24,” Malaj said organizing the summit would cost around 160 million euros. According to him, NATO would cover only 10 percent of the expenses, while the Albanian state would pay approximately 145 million euros.
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Malaj also criticized Rama’s approach to governing. He said the prime minister is surrounded by people who do not challenge him and does not take into account the economic difficulties citizens face.
“They have built a kind of isolation around themselves and do not listen to anyone who expresses a different opinion. He lives in his own world. He went and asked for the NATO summit to be held in Albania, even though the summit costs 160 million euros. NATO pays only 10 percent,” the former minister said.
Questioning what benefits hosting the summit might bring, Malaj stressed that Albanian taxpayers would bear most of the cost.
“Why do we need this summit, and what impact will it have on Albania, when Albanians are being made to pay 145 million euros? He spends money on concerts and everything else, but forgets the difficult situation Albanians are in. The Institute of Statistics itself says that 40 percent of them cannot cover their monthly expenses. He has lost his sense of humanity,” Arben Malaj said.
