Albania is gradually losing its political weight and influence in the Balkans, while the Albanian factor in the region is appearing increasingly divided. This is the alarm raised by former Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, who argues that the political rapprochement with Serbia has been accompanied by the weakening of Tirana's leading role towards Albanians in the region.
According to Bushati, Albanian foreign policy has entered a phase where personal political relationships and short-term interests are replacing national interest. He warns that the competition for influence between Tirana and Pristina, the lack of interaction and the excessive focus on normalization with Serbia have significantly weakened the decisive power of Albanians in the Balkans.
One of the strongest criticisms is related to Albania's stance towards Kosovo and the Special Chambers in The Hague. Bushati says that Tirana has built a foreign policy with double standards, on the one hand public statements in support of Kosovo and criticism of the Hague tribunal, while on the other hand, in international forums, Albania has joined the European Union's statements calling for support for the work of the Special Chambers.
According to him, this shows that Albanian politics has remained at a rhetorical level and is not being translated into real diplomatic action.
Bushati also dwells on the relationship with the Albanians of North Macedonia, where the use of derogatory language towards them is considered by him as "unacceptable". He warns that Tirana is moving between paternalism and indifference, losing sensitivity to the historical sacrifices of the Albanians there for political equality and state-building.
In his analysis, the former Foreign Minister emphasizes that Albania risks losing one of its most important strategic assets, the moral and political authority among the Albanians of the region. According to him, without a coherent foreign policy and without real national coordination, the Albanian factor in the Balkans will remain fragmented and weaker in the face of new geopolitical developments.
