I am reminded of a scene from the movie “Honeymoon.” I don’t remember the dialogue word for word, but the situation is more or less like this: an undocumented Albanian immigrant ends up in an Italian police cell. There is also a Nigerian immigrant in the same cell. The Albanian is very indignant with the Italians. “Racists,” he says. Terrible racists.” And the proof he has of their racism is that they put him, the Albanian, in a cell with a black man.

The scene is funny, because the Albanian has not yet understood the situation. He is against racism, but only until the moment when racism puts him on the same shelf as the Nigerian. In his head there is an invisible order of the world: the Italian can look at the African with contempt, but the Albanian must be distinguished. After all, this is Albanian. I was reminded of this scene these days seeing the enthusiasm of some Albanians on social networks after the AfD result in Saxony-Anhalt. The AfD received 43.8 percent of the second votes and 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament. An extraordinary electoral result, despite the fact that the party remained without an absolute majority. So far, nothing strange. The Germans voted. It is their country and it is their right to choose the parties they want. What is most interesting is the Albanian who celebrates.

Because today's Albanian is, to a large extent, a product of immigration. According to statistics I found online, in Germany alone, at the end of 2025, there were 323,260 citizens of Kosovo and about 125 citizens of Albania. This does not include those who have since become German citizens, nor Albanians with passports from North Macedonia, Serbia or Montenegro.

So, we have a population of immigrants who reveal sympathy for a party that has immigration restrictions among its main themes.

This has a certain Albanian logic: I came in. Now close the door. Even put the lock on it, because others are coming!

The AfD openly uses the concept of “remigration” and calls for the return of people who do not have a legal right to stay, stronger controls and restrictions on immigration. The party itself emphasizes that it does not call for the expulsion of legally residing immigrants or German citizens of foreign origin. This is important to say, because caricaturing does not help to understand the problem. But it is equally important to understand that the AfD’s political direction is clearly towards less immigration, less asylum, more returns and stronger conditions for foreigners.

And there, the Albanian Facebook user nods with satisfaction: "Very good. Let's establish order."

Of course, the rule should begin after the cousin from Fier arrives.

Then we have another detail: Religion.

The AfD has in its program the straightforward formulation: “Islam does not belong to Germany.” This is also a policy that Germans can discuss however they want. But for the Albanian, the situation becomes interesting again.
A very large proportion of Kosovo Albanians and a significant proportion of Albanians in Albania come from Muslim families. Many of those living in Germany today have immigrated there precisely to benefit from a society that has, for decades, accepted people of different backgrounds, nationalities and religions.

But the Albanian is a being who adapts quickly. He arrives at the airport as an immigrant. After a few years, he begins to worry about immigrants.

But we also have the problem of Kosovo and here the film becomes even more beautiful.

In 2023, the then foreign policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group, Petr Bystron, declared that recognizing Kosovo had been a mistake. The parliamentary group demanded that the German government revoke its recognition of Kosovo and apologize to Serbia for German participation in the 1999 NATO bombing.

Another AfD representative later called the “Kosovo project” a failure and demanded the withdrawal of German troops from KFOR. And this did not remain just rhetoric for 2023.

On June 11, 2026, the Bundestag voted to extend the German mission in KFOR. Of the 150 AfD members, 136 voted against, none in favor, and 14 abstained. Now imagine a Kosovo Albanian living in Düsseldorf, who came as an immigrant, has a Muslim family, holds the red and black flag on his balcony, and celebrates the AfD's victory on Facebook.

Nothing stops it. Democracy, fortunately, also allows contradiction.

This phenomenon is not limited to Germany.

Even in the United States, we have seen Albanians enthusiastically supporting very strict immigration policies. On January 21, 2026, the Trump administration temporarily suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Albania and Kosovo, while the State Department reviewed procedures regarding the possibility of immigrants becoming a burden on public funds. The measure did not apply to tourist visas and, following a court decision, ceased to apply on August 21, 2026.

Even then, the argument on social media was often similar: they do good to those who come and live on aid.

Which Albanians were living on benefits, how many there were, and what data this belief was based on, was less important. Berihaji doesn't want statistics. Berihaji only wants direction.

And here is, I believe, the most interesting part of the whole story. People don't always vote according to their economic, family or national interest. This is normal. People also vote according to their values, fears, anger, identity or the way they see society.

The problem starts when you don't even know what the package you're clapping contains.

You can be Albanian and demand restrictions on immigration. You can be Muslim and vote for a party that has very critical stances towards Islam. You can be Kosovar and support a party that has demanded the cancellation of the recognition of Kosovo. These are political choices.

But then at least you should know what you chose. Because otherwise we go back to the Albanian from “Honeymoon.” He wasn’t angry because the Italian police were treating immigrants badly. He was angry because the Italian police hadn’t understood one very important thing: he himself shouldn’t be considered an immigrant like everyone else.

And maybe this is one of the minor ailments of our political immigration. We are not against the closed door. We just want it to be closed after we have entered.