American rapper Kanye West is expected to take the stage at a concert in Tirana on July 11, an activity that has caused reactions and debates due to his public image and previous controversial statements, while our country is facing massive protests.
The French newspaper "Le Monde" writes that the artist, who has faced concert cancellations and restrictions in several European countries due to his anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi statements, will perform in Albania, while the activity has been accompanied by political controversy.
According to the article, the concert will be supported with funding of around 4 million euros, while some protesters have accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of using this event for political purposes and personal promotion.
By Jean-Baptiste Chastand, THE WORLD
Declared persona non grata in most European countries due to his neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic outbursts, American rapper Kanye West will, on the contrary, be welcomed with open arms on Saturday, July 11, in Tirana, by an Albanian government that is currently being strongly opposed in the streets.
The prime minister of this small Balkan country, socialist Edi Rama, decided on Monday, July 6, to "urgently" release a subsidy of 4 million euros to save the controversial American star's concert, which was due to take place that evening on the outskirts of Tirana.
This announcement has angered thousands of protesters, who since late May have been protesting every evening in front of the windows of the prime minister's office against the luxury real estate projects of the US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, on the Albanian coast.
"Kanye West is a known anti-Semite. And here the government is going to spend 4 million euros for the concert to take place," denounced on Wednesday, July 8, Edison Lika, an activist of this movement called the "Flamingo Revolution," in reference to the migratory birds that could be threatened by the American couple's projects.
One of the poorest countries in Europe
Drawing parallels with the alarming lack of funding for hospitals in this country, which ranks among the poorest in Europe, many protesters see this concert and this subsidy as a new symbol of the way in which the prime minister, in power since 2013, is appropriating all institutions with the aim of serving his image and sometimes dubious interests.
Arguing that the concert "otherwise risked being canceled," the Albanian leader defended the idea that this subsidy was necessary "to avoid embarrassing Albania," while "25.000 foreigners" are expected to arrive in the capital to attend the concert and generate "100 million euros" for the tourism sector.
Also known as "Ye", the American rapper has seen most of his concerts in Europe canceled after he declared in 2023 that he "worshipped Nazis" or released a song titled "Heil Hitler" on the 80th anniversary of Germany's defeat during World War II, May 8, 2025.
Although the rapper expressed his “deep regret” in January for the anti-Semitic remarks, which he attributed to his bipolar disorder, he was forced to postpone his June concert in Marseille and was banned from entering British territory in early April. However, he managed to perform for two nights in early June in the Netherlands.
But in Albania, it was Edi Rama himself who invited Kanye West to perform, announcing the concert on his Facebook profile at the end of April.
Presenting himself as an unwavering pro-American, the Albanian leader seems truly willing to do anything to serve Donald Trump's interests, as shown by his continued support for his family's real estate projects or this concert by a rapper known for his closeness to the American president.
The concert, moreover, is to take place in an arena built specifically for the occasion, which the prime minister himself visited on Tuesday.
Initially, the government was committed to this activity costing nothing to public money, but it seems to have changed its mind, while tickets, sold at prices ranging from 250 to 700 euros, continue to be widely available.
