Gresa Hasa

Krsto Lazarevic has written a critical article about the interview, which includes my perspective on this type of journalism and why it is problematic. 👆🏻

„Der Größte der ganzen Welt?“: Das merkwürdige „Zeit Magazin“-Interview mit Albaniens Premier Edi Rama. Das „Zeit Magazin“ interviewt den umstrittenen albanischen Premier Edi Rama, interessiert sich aber mehr für dessen Größe als für Politik.

Recently, Zeit Magazine in #Germany published a lengthy interview with Albania’s Prime Minister, where the journalists appeared more interested in banal and sensational topics—such as Rama’s height and his love for basketball—than in posing critical questions about him and the regime he represents.

Despite the fact that this definitely is NOT journalism but a discriminatory remark that fuels stereotypes of “Balkan wilderness.”

That’s purely the way the author of the article views Albanians, and frankly, for someone who has lived in Albania for many years, this reveals more about their own bias and failure to engage with the country’s realities than it does about Albanians themselves.

Also, there is no such thing as a “national joke” about “Albanians keeping their money next to their AK-47.”

To suggest otherwise is not only reductive, but dangerously misleading. It dismisses the socio-economic realities of a semi-authoritarian political context.

In reality, the roots of Albania’s cash-based culture lie in decades of systemic mistrust in public institutions, widespread political corruption, and deep entanglements between organized crime and segments of the state—not some cultural aversion to banking.

Albania’s leader pushes dream of first cashless society The plan to ban cash by the end of the decade will be difficult to realize in a country distrustful of banks.

This is such a bad and lazy article, full of prejudice and discrimination. It completely fails to grasp the complexities of Albania’s informal economy, which is primarily linked to organized crime and political corruption—not to the simplistic idea that “Albanians just don’t like banks.”

When Albanians are dehumanized with genocidal chants in an EU candidate country, and when those in power stand by passively, silence from Tirana and Prishtina would signal weakness and disregard for the dignity and safety of their people.

This cannot be brushed aside as just another nationalist incident in sports.

…those responsible—including accountability from the North Macedonian officials who witnessed the chants in silence.

In light of this, it is imperative that the governments of Albania and Kosovo respond officially, demanding a public condemnation of the hate speech, an investigation into the incident, and concrete disciplinary or legal action against…

What makes this even worse is Mickoski’s later attempt to excuse himself by claiming he somehow “didn’t hear” the chants. How weird! Either the Prime Minister of North Macedonia is deaf to hate, or, more alarmingly, so accustomed to it that it no longer registers.

This is not neutral silence: it is acceptance, endorsement, and complicity by the country’s highest ranking officials.

Among those present were North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Stoilkovic, Minister of Internal Affairs Panco Toskovski, and Kumanovo Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski—all of whom stood by in silence.

“A good Šiptar is a dead Šiptar” and “Gas chambers for Šiptari” were among the fascist chants heard following the basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania on Saturday.

Joint Statement on the Draft Penal Code and Its Implications for Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Albania - SafeJournalists We, the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), and civil society organizations in Albania, express utmost concern regarding the proposed amendments to the Penal ...

Joint Statement on the Draft Penal Code and Its Implications for Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in #Albania.

With the majority Rama now holds in parliament after the May 11 elections, they can pass any law they want — including this one. The historical opposition has been dismantled, the few dissenting voices are weak, and the media is captured. I find this extremely dangerous.

This is exactly the kind of authoritarian move some of us warned about following the elections. Rama, who now controls a parliamentary majority, is pushing forward with measures that could silence dissent.

The EU must not allow this to happen!

Notably, #Albania’s 1995 Criminal Code was originally adapted in line with the European Convention on Human Rights. This new proposal directly contradicts the ECHR and poses a serious threat to democratic freedoms and free speech.

What constitutes “mockery” is vaguely defined, leaving the law open to abuse and potentially targeting all critical voices in #Albania, including activists or the few remaining independent journalists and media outlets such as BIRN Albania.

Tre vjet burg nëse tallesh dhe përbuz “udhëheqësit” Nëse tallesh me udhëheqësit politikë të vendit, apo nëse guxon t’i përçmosh apo t’i përbuzësh ata apo simbolet jofrymore të

Under the new proposal to amend #Albania’s Criminal Code—driven by the Rama regime—it is legally stipulated that anyone who mocks or ridicules the country’s leadership, including the Prime Minister, President, and Ministers, could face up to four years in prison.

Through her personal story, she reveals the ideological impact on intimate moments. Combining personal reflection and cultural history, the film highlights propaganda’s lasting effects on identity and freedom.

The film explores how dictatorship-era propaganda in #Albania used art to control public and private life. Teli explores how state-sponsored messages influenced beliefs, relationships, and self-perception.

Do not miss Ermela Teli’s documentary at Dokufest in #Prizren, #Kosovo, on 6 August.

Wildfires rage in Greece and Turkey as extreme heat persists - BBC News Firefighters warn of a "difficult day" ahead, with temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C (111.2F) on Sunday.

“On Saturday, Turkey's environment ministry said meteorologists had recorded a reading of 50.5C in the south-eastern city of Silopi, surpassing the previous heat record of 49.5C.”

#Albania is burning from north to south in yet another summer of extreme heat—alongside other Balkan/Mediterranean countries. 💔

Gresa Hasa: Ekološki pokreti mogu ujediniti regiju – Portal Novosti Važno je imati na umu da nas više stvari povezuje nego što nas dijeli. Ali nacionalističke političke elite žele da vjerujemo u suprotno, jer zamislite što bi se

This is an interview I gave to the Novosti newspaper in #Croatia about my activism and the current political situation in #Albania, the importance of building regional alliances, and our collective efforts to resist authoritarianism and imagine a different world together. 🍃

Remembering #Srebrenica is not just about honoring the victims—it is a political and ethical imperative which demands sustained accountability and resistance against the forces that continue to divide and dehumanize.

Thirty years later, nationalism and genocide denialism remain deeply rooted in the #Balkans, even within structures that were meant to be emancipatory and liberating.