Ethnic Greek Politician's Conviction Strains Albania-Greece Relations

An Albanian appeals court confirmed the conviction of Fredi Beleris on vote-buying charges, prompting tensions between Albania and Greece. Beleris, who won a seat in the European Parliament while detained, faces strained diplomatic repercussions, affecting Albania’s EU membership bid. Greek officials insist his release is crucial for democratic integrity.

An Albanian appeals court on Tuesday upheld a lower court conviction on vote-buying charges of ethnic Greek politician Fredi Beleris, three weeks after he won a seat in the European Parliament elections. Beleris was arrested in May 2023 during a mayoral election campaign in his hometown of Himare which has an active ethnic Greek community. He subsequently won, but was never sworn in while being held in pre-trial detention. He was jailed for two years in March this year for election fraud.

Beleris's case has strained relations between Albania and Greece, Balkan neighbours whose ties have often soured over cultural and historical differences, as well as the many Albanian immigrants in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania. Greece demanded his immediate release, warning the matter could impact Albania's bid for European Union membership.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said the Beleris case was a judicial, not political, matter. "Mr Beleris is already an elected member of the European Parliament," Greek Ambassador to Albania Konstantina Kamitsi said on Tuesday, criticising the outcome of the appeals process.

"It's an absolute democratic requirement and a requirement under the rule of law that elected MEPs can attend in person all sessions of the European Parliament, starting with the plenary session of the European Parliament in July." Beleris won a seat in the EU parliament as a candidate for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy Party.

Beleris, who has dual citizenship, has been viewed by some in Albania as a polarising figure. He said the fact he won the votes of both ethnic Greeks and Albanians in Himare, an ethnically-mixed area, proved he was a unifying candidate.