Dr. Evangelos Venetis,
Specialist in Geopolitics
During his visit in Himara on 22.12.2022 Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, thirty years after his father’s visit, and created security expectations amongst Greeks in Northern Epirus, the minority which is tormented by the arbitrariness of Tirana concerning its real estate legal and human rights in relation to the booming tourist development of the area in general. In his speech, Kyriakos Mitsotakis made pre-election promises to the Himariots that “Greece will always be close to them” and that they will enjoy the protection of the Greek state and the Mitsotakis government itself. In fact, when he promised security and protection to the Greeks of Himara and Northern Epirus in general, the Greek prime minister was surrounded on the platform of his speech by Freddy Beleris and Vangelis Doules.
“Eat a big bite, don’t say a big word.” A Greek proverb.
Five months later, the promises of the Greek Prime Minister would be flatly denied and in the most emphatic way, jeopardizing the credibility of not only the Greek government but also of the entire Greek political world amongst the Greeks of Albania, who feel disappointed by the passive attitude of Athens in the Beleris Crisis .
The arrest on false charges of pre-election vote fraud of Fredi Beleris and Pantelis Kokavesis by the Albanian authorities three days before the municipal elections in the neighborhood and ten days before the parliamentary elections on May 25, 2023 created another crisis in Greek-Albanian relations which continues to this day and does not seems to be resolved before a post-election government is formed in Greece.
The recent refusal of the Albanian judicial authorities to Beleris’ new request for release from prison has political ramifications for both bilateral relations and the pre-election scene of Greece in relation to the new elections on June 25. Surprisingly, however, while the arrest of Beleris irreparably exposed the Greek government, the Greek media emphatically silenced the responsibilities of the Greek government in the matter, as in the case of the Greeks of Ukraine, apparently to avoid political costs for the ruling party in the elections of May 21.
The bottom line of the Beleris case is that both the failed policy of the recent Greek government and all Greek governments since 1990 have proven inadequate in turning the prosperous economic, social and cultural relations between the two countries into political capital between Greece and Albania. Unlike Italy, Turkey and Germany, which have substantial influence in Tirana, Greece always obedient to Washington’s urge for “calm”. But while Washington maintains a neutral policy between Tirana and Athens, this does not prevent Tirana from making bold moves against Greece. It seems that there might be another 30 years before another Greek prime minister visits Northern Epirus again.