BUSTO ARSIZIO (VARESE). The E-work Arena in Busto Arsizio is packed. Red flags with the black double-headed eagle, tricolours, flags of the European Union and banners with the words “Proud to be Albanian”. And then elderly people with the qeleshe, the handmade felt skullcap that comes from the South East of the country, and children in traditional clothes. Albanian pop singers and folk groups alternate on stage.
It is a real celebration of Albanian pride and friendship between Albania and Italy that organized this morning in the province of Varese by the entrepreneur Ylli Ujca, who arrived on a boat in the nineties and today heads a company that produces and trades building materials.
There is talk of five thousand people inside, and at least another 2-3 thousand outside, where large screens have been mounted. Some even say 10 thousand, and it would also be possible given that there are 700 thousand Albanians in Italy (of which 259 thousand with Italian passports) and that 60% of them, especially the owners of the 40 thousand businesses opened by Albanians in Italy, lives in the northern regions.
The highlight, at lunchtime, is the arrival of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has recently returned to the center of the Italian political debate due to the delays in the opening of the two centers for migrants, the result of the agreement with the government Melons. The works are reportedly progressing very slowly, and the opening initially scheduled for May 20th has been postponed to a later date. A delicate issue on both sides of the Adriatic. She’s not the only one. Already yesterday, in Busto Arsizio, the prime minister’s opponents also began to make themselves heard. A sheet has appeared on the net of the stadium attacking the socialist politician who has led Albania since 2013. “With Kurti, Albania hopes, with you, Albania dies.” These are supporters of Albin Kurti, the leader of Kosovo, who for some time has exported his «Vetëvendosje!» movement to Albania.
Rama’s arrival on stage is preceded by a video with images of the boats in the Apulian ports of the nineties, but also of Anna Oxa and Ermal Meta at the Sanremo Festival. As well as the Italian tourists who have invaded Albanian beaches in recent summers. Images that explain the meaning of this event, intended to tell the positive evolution of the relationship between Italy and Albania, the end of the narrative “which associated the word Albanian with criminal”.
The prime minister speaks for an hour, amidst applause, roars but also some whistles. “You Albanians of Italy are the outpost of the new Europe” she repeats several times, explaining that her country’s great objective now is to complete the process of joining the European Union. «Europe today, after the challenge of Russian tsarism, is challenged as it has never been challenged since the post-war period-he says. Either as Europeans we all emerge together or we will all be left behind.”
It celebrates the special relations between Italy and Albania, but for Italian politicians it has very different words. He angrily quotes Umberto Bossi, “who with his vest looked like he came out of a comedy film”, and who contributed to spreading prejudice – “It was an Albanian” every time something bad happened -, but who then “came to Tirana, in Berisha’s corrupt Albania, to buy a diploma for his son.” The reference, obviously, is to the graduation of the second son Renzo.
Giorgia Meloni, however, describes her as a “very strong friend of Albania” and “a spokesperson for Albania in the EU”. He claims the pension agreement just signed with Rome, which «will allow 421 thousand Albanians in Italy to enjoy the sacrifices of their work in their second homeland», but at the same time invites those who can to return to Albania to invest their money and his skills gained abroad.
Listening to him, in addition to his wife and various representatives of the Albanian government and Parliament, there is also an Italian delegation with the mayors of Busto Arsizio and Gallarate and two candidates for the European Parliament: Isabella Tovaglieri for the League and Giorgio Gori for the Democratic Party. A sign that the Albanians of Italy also have an impact electorally. There is also the footballer Igli Tare, former teammate of Roberto Baggio and then sporting director of Lazio, who explains: «It is a duty to be here to celebrate the path of rapprochement made by our countries in the last ten years». Next to him is the mayor of Tirana Erin Veliaj, seen by many as one of the possible successors of the prime minister himself.
«This is a gratitude tour. I don’t think there is a region in Italy that loves Italy like Albania”, says Veliaj. The mayor then also explains the meaning and objectives of this tour, linked to the ongoing discussion in the Albanian parliament on the idea of extending the possibility of voting to the diaspora, a bit like what happens in Italy with the seats for « Italians in the world”. A way to involve former emigrants in Albanian politics, both as voters and as possible elected officials. With all that this can also produce on an economic level.
Veliaj doesn’t even shy away from a joke on the issue of the Rama-Meloni agreement on migrant centers. «Regardless of who governs in Rome, we will always be grateful to Italy-he explains. An Albanian government will always say yes only to Italy because you have welcomed a million Albanians. The least that Albania can do is provide help in this field.”
