Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama displayed highly inappropriate behavior toward photographer James Mollison, who was accompanying well-known British journalist Guy De Launey.

De Launey was interviewing Prime Minister Rama, asking him about the latest developments facing the country, which are directly linked to public protests.

At one point, he asked photographer James Mollison to leave his office because he needed to draw.

“He tells Monocle’s photographer to ‘get out’ and turns to the papers on his desk, which are covered in drawings. Rama has previously claimed that drawing helps him concentrate,” Monocle magazine writes.

The magazine’s photographer was immediately reprimanded when he asked the prime minister to draw something while posing for photographs. He was then rebuked again simply for changing position during the interview.

The article notes that Rama is known for his irreverence at international summits, while also focusing on the mass protests that have swept the country for the past two months.

During the interview, the prime minister says the protest is a major achievement for the country, emphasizing that he has a contract with the majority of Albanians who voted for him.

Tourism accounts for about a quarter of Albania’s GDP, but the prime minister insists that the country must move beyond its current model. He describes Kushner as an investor who is respectful toward Albania and wants to do everything by the rules.

Above all, he dismisses the protesters’ main complaint that Albanian land is being sold to wealthy foreigners, with little benefit for local people in what remains one of Europe’s poorest countries.

The protesters outside the prime minister’s office are not only calling for the Zvërnec project to be canceled; they are also shouting about the need to improve schools, hospitals and living standards.

In response, Rama characteristically says: “I’m taking notes. Your enemies can tell you things that are more useful than what your friends tell you.”

The Full Monocle Article

Edi Rama does not look thrilled when Monocle visits his office, but that may have something to do with the protests taking place outside his window in central Tirana. The lack of warmth contrasts with the tall Albanian prime minister’s image as the Western Balkans’ showman-statesman. Rama is known for his irreverence at international summits: one minute serenading his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni; the next, joking with Emmanuel Macron about Donald Trump’s tendency to confuse Albania with Armenia. Media profiles enthusiastically describe the artworks decorating his office and his tendency to draw. They marvel at how close he has brought Albania to EU membership during his 13 years in office, transforming Tirana’s skyline and overseeing a tourism boom.

Those journalists apparently have not encountered the version of Rama that we see. Monocle’s photographer is curtly criticized when he asks the prime minister to draw while posing for a photograph, then receives another rebuke when he changes position during the interview. A question about reaching a compromise with the protesters is brushed aside.

“Why should I reach an agreement?” he says.

“They have the right to protest. It is a major achievement for this country to have peaceful protests. But we were elected with a huge victory and we have a clear vision. We have a contract with the majority of Albanians. A few thousand people insisting that we should leave are good for the country’s democratic health, but they are not in a position to impose anything.”

In this case, however, they are in a position to attract considerable international attention, largely because of the Trump factor. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is behind proposals for two tourism projects on the Albanian coast — in Zvërnec, near the city of Vlora, and on Sazan Island. The government has granted Kushner “strategic investor” status, allowing him to develop luxury accommodation in an area that is supposed to be environmentally protected. The plans have prompted local concern since they were made public two years ago. Then, in May, the protests gained momentum after security guards at one of the sites assaulted a local man while police stood by. Video of the incident went viral and triggered an outburst of anger that spread from the coast to the capital.

Rama is irritated by this turn of events. He describes Kushner as an investor who is “respectful toward our country” and wants to do “everything by the rules.”

He also describes the assault on the protester as an “unacceptable episode” for which officials are already being held accountable. Above all, he dismisses the protesters’ main complaint — that Albanian land is being sold to wealthy foreigners, with little benefit for local people in what remains one of Europe’s poorest countries.

Tourism accounts for about a quarter of Albania’s GDP, but the prime minister insists that the country must move beyond its current model. “Mass tourism has been an extraordinary force in spreading the word about this country, but it is not sustainable for nature, the air or the water,” he says.

“The strain it places on the country is not worth it. I am not saying that we should stop, but we need balance. We need high quality: fewer tourists, but more money.”

Looking at the Albanian Riviera, Rama’s point seems credible. A congested single-lane road separates the beach, with rows of sun umbrellas and loungers belonging to the hotels and holiday apartments opposite.

Some of them were built only recently in response to the growing number of tourists after the pandemic. Others are still under construction. Even before the peak tourist season begins, it is already starting to feel extraordinarily crowded.

At the Regina Palm Resort’s bar is Vasil Bedinaj. His Regina Group owns four hotels in and around Vlora, and he wants to expand.

But he is considering whether it would be wise to do so if Albanian tourism does not evolve. He believes that Kushner’s projects could provide an example for others to follow.

“We do not yet have the experience for this kind of business and, in order to learn, you need to have the best people around you,” he says.

“And you need to have brands. They will bring in professional workers. And when they do, I can learn from them.”

Others are less optimistic. At the Coastal Gallery, an exhibition by artist Driton Selmani explores Albania’s relationship with tourism through a series of works incorporating everything from mosaics to bird droppings.

Founder and curator Elian Stefa describes it as “an unapologetic way of reflecting on the transformations taking place here.”

He has run the gallery since 2018 and is not convinced that big-money developments will bring meaningful benefits to local people. “The question is about access and accountability. Who will be able to enjoy them and benefit from them?”

Vlora resident Baki Goxhaj wants the coastal area around the Narta Lagoon to remain a sanctuary for flamingos and other birds. He has protested in both Vlora and Tirana. “Public beaches are protected by law and cannot be privatized, but they have essentially been fenced off for 7 km to create a private beach,” he says. “We also have the law on protected areas. They changed it to allow only luxury investments. So this is only for special people.”

Similar sentiments are common in Tirana, where people have watched luxury apartment buildings spring up across the city but have not felt the benefits. Keit Zaloshnja is an executive assistant at Vila 31, an artists’ residence where dictator Enver Hoxha once lived in a level of luxury that would have bewildered Albanian citizens during his rule. She sees a different kind of wealth gap emerging.

“Investors portray Albania as a hidden gem, so they want to make it beautiful and use all the resources,” she says. “This seems somewhat colonial. There should be more transparency and dialogue with the public.”

The protesters outside the prime minister’s office are not only calling for the Zvërnec project to be canceled. They are also shouting about the need to improve schools, hospitals and living standards.

“I’m taking notes,” Rama says. “Your enemies can tell you things that are more useful than what your friends tell you.”

With that, he instructs Monocle’s photographer to “get out” and turns to the drawing-covered papers on his desk. Rama has claimed that sketching helps him concentrate. This long, hot summer shows no sign of cooling down. He may need to order some extra pens.

The post Rama Criticizes Foreign Media Photographer: Get Out, I Need to Draw appeared first on Albeu.com.