Wrote: Fatbardh Dema
An article titled has been published "THE IDEA OF GREATER ALBANIA IS REVIVING AGAIN. It all starts with the trial of the KLA leaders: from Tirana and Skopje comes a dangerous warning of a PAN-ALBANIAN Uprising."
Publication of the medium in Serbian language "blic.rs" on Saturday (October 18) has linked to the idea of "Greater Albania" - the protest organized in Tirana in support of former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who are being tried in The Hague and a statement by Ali Ahmeti that no one can guarantee that there will not be a revolt, by dissatisfied people, if the Special Court convicts them at the end of the trial.
What does the article say?
The "blic.rs" article writes that in a few days there have been "two warning signals" that the announcement of the verdict against former KLA leaders in The Hague will not go without a reaction.
"The first came from Albania in the form of a protest of 'pan-Albanian' nationalist support and then another one from North Macedonia – an ominous announcement that there could be a pan-Albanian rebellion if they are found guilty," it is said in the introduction to the article.
It notes that Ali Ahmeti, leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) political party in North Macedonia, has said that "no one can control an Albanian rebellion if the Special Court in The Hague convicts Hashim Thaçi and others."
To interpret this statement, the media outlet said that Ahmeti was one of the former founders of the KLA and the political leader of the National Liberation Army.
The article also included a statement by Zoran Milivojevic, a career diplomat. "It is a clear idea of Greater Albania. Now it can be seen that this idea is not sleeping and that there is ambition to be projected as a pan-Albanian space in the entire region. It is dangerous for the stability of the region, but also for the territorial sovereignty of states," Milivojevic told "blic.rs".
Based on the support for the protest from the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, Milivojevic said that these provide indications that the KLA is "a symbol and military base for the realization of the idea of Greater Albania."
"It is a military-political platform, in Tetovo, in Pristina, in Durres, in Tirana, in Ulcinj, and it is dangerous that it has been activated. Due to militaristic tendencies in Europe, it is very important to keep in mind the attempt to transform the Kosovo Security Force into an Army and not to separate from the idea of Greater Albania," he said further.
The article also states that "the idea of Greater Albania implies the unification of Albania and Kosovo, and in addition to them, parts of territory from Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Greece."
facts
Hibrid.info has found that Ali Ahmeti made a statement (October 16) in which he said that no one can guarantee that dissatisfied people would be able to express their revolt if the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army were punished. But he did not warn about the idea alleged in the title in question about “Greater Albania”.
In an interview after the protest on Saturday, Ahmeti even said that for 10 years he sees the Albanian factor in the region within a European flag without borders, and in this case he said that borders can also be done with Serbia.
Part of his statement, published on the Albanian Radio Television channel in YouTube:
"I see Albanians within a decade as united Albanians, but in a united Europe. A united Europe is what resolves those ideals that we had as young people who organized. And I am not one of those who are now afraid and say that in 1979 I organized for the unification of the Albanian land with Albania, but in the 90s global policies changed and we also changed our strategy."
United under the European flag. My last campaign motto for the parliamentary political elections was 'No to Russia, but to Europe'. And our ideal is a united Europe, the removal of borders between Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, why not think about it even though it is a more difficult process, but Serbia is also in the Balkans. With Serbia we have difficulties until reconciliation... I understand that the reconciliation process is not so easy with Serbia because people have been buried alive, thousands of people have been killed, thousands are still missing, mothers have experienced great pain, but this process has also happened between two peoples - French and German.
And in another interview during the day, published on Top-Channel on YouTube, Ahmeti spoke about a meeting with officials from Albanian institutions. He said they discussed "the common path that must be taken towards the membership of our countries in the European Union."
"As the Republic of North Macedonia, we are concerned about the common path we have had towards the country's membership in the EU. We have been in a package with Albania and Montenegro, but we are a little late for an agreement that has been signed between us and Brussels regarding constitutional changes," he said, speaking about Macedonia's European integration and not about any idea of unification into one state.
"…. as we have always been contributors to peace, stability, and security, we will continue to cooperate in this direction because we want a peaceful region to be at the service of development, progress, and membership in the European Union as soon as possible", he continued.
Ali Ahmeti has also been SPEAKERS at the protest organized in Tirana. In his speech, he did not mention the idea of "Greater Albania".
In the past, Ahmeti has called the idea of "Greater Albania" Russian-Serbian propaganda. In the year 2017, he had said that "no one should be afraid of the empowerment of Albanians and that on the contrary, stability in this country (North Macedonia) is reflected in both Kosovo and Albania."
And even in the year 2018, he said that "national unification is not happening" and that "Albanians must strengthen their states."
A statement that contradicts the claim of the Serbian-language media was also given a few days ago by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. In an interview for "Clan of Kosovo"At the end of September, Rama said that national unity is "a thesis that has value only insofar as it is related to the European Union and the synergy that is created under the sky of the European Union."
The “Greater Albania” narrative is often used by Serbian-language media and Serbian officials to criticize or portray as a threat any event, celebration, or initiative that they interpret as an attempt to unite Albanian-dominated territories into a single state. This narrative appears particularly in contexts related to Albanian national symbols and identity.
Moreover, this narrative is often present during events that symbolize the strengthening of Albanian-Albanian ties, such as national holidays, commemorations, and official meetings aimed at improving relations and cooperation in the region. (see here, here, here and here)
About the protests over the trial:
Protests against the Special Court and in support of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi were held in August in Pristina, and in September at the Special Court's headquarters in the Netherlands. The trial of Hashim Thaçi and three of his co-defendants (Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi) at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague began on 3 April 2023. They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during 1998–1999 in Kosovo and parts of Albania. (see here)
Analyze:
Without providing any facts, the Serbian-language media outlet "blic.rs" has used Saturday's protest in Tirana in support of former KLA leaders being tried in The Hague and the statements of the Albanian politician from North Macedonia, Ali Ahmeti, as "the beginning of the revival of the idea of Greater Albania."
Ahmeti said that no one can guarantee that disgruntled people would be able to express their revolt in the event of the conviction of former KLA leaders in The Hague, but he did not warn of the unification of the territories with Albanians into a single state. In at least two interviews on the day of the protest, Ahmeti himself spoke of North Macedonia as a separate state and on one occasion said that the idea of national unification was from the 80s, but that it had changed in the subsequent period.
Even a recent statement by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, rejects the claim of "reviving the idea of Greater Albania."
Based on the fact-free connection to events and the statements of those cited in the article, as well as the ongoing narrative in Serbian-language media about the idea of "Greater Albania", this article by hibrid.info is considered a "conspiracy theory".
Reasoning:
"Conspiracy theories" are media reports that disseminate a false or unverifiable description of a phenomenon, event, or person, presenting it as part of or the result of a secret plan ("conspiracy"). A characteristic of these reports is that they present a series of claims, presented as facts, between which cause-effect relationships are established, without providing any credible evidence.