I have never been bullied,” Rama recounts the two times he was assaulted: They left me thinking I was dead

During an interview with journalist Rudina Xhunga on the Prime Minister’s “Flasim” podcast, Edi Rama spoke about his childhood and speculation that he may have been a victim of bullying.

The Prime Minister denied this, stating that despite his rebellious nature, he had never been bullied. He recounted that he had been assaulted only twice in his life.

The first incident took place in the corridor of the “Partizani” Sports Palace after a match against “Apollonia.” According to Rama, the game had been tense and, as a player who occasionally provoked others, he became involved in verbal clashes with his opponents. After the match, several people suddenly surrounded him, struck him and knocked him to the floor.

The second incident occurred in January 1997, when Rama said he had been ambushed on the road leading to the entrance of his home. He said the attackers had left him in such a condition that doctors in Albania and France thought he might not survive.

Rama added that, according to doctors, his height had also helped him, as blows are less effective when the attacker is positioned lower, while he also cited his athletic background and physique as factors that may have played a role.

Responding to Sali Berisha’s claims that he had been with a man when he was assaulted in 1997, the Prime Minister described them as allegations repeatedly voiced by “a foul mouth.” Rama stated that it was not a crime of passion and denied having been with a man.

He explained that at the time he was living in the apartment with a woman and a friend from Shkodra, who also lived there.

As for the people who had attacked him, Rama said he knew the identity of one of them with complete certainty and that the man had repented, but had since died. Regarding the other, he said the man had not admitted to the incident and that he had not questioned him directly, although he had shown remorse in another way, through friendly behavior.