Interview with Albert Rakipi, the executive director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), with Deutsche Welle’s Ani Ruci in the local Albanian service.
Mr. Rakipi, most politicians, analysts and citizens in Albania wanted and supported Hillary Clinton, considering her contribution to the Albanian question and especially former President Clinton’s support. Meanwhile, in a talk you had few days before the elections with me as a strong supporter of Mrs. Clinton in a chance to overcome gender barriers, i.e. a fan for the first female U.S. president, you had a different opinion. And it came out that you were right. So, which factors influenced on Trump’s victory, which you maybe guessed when you didn’t join the majority hopeful and quite sure of Hillary Clinton’s win?
Rakipi: Wanting a candidate to win and arguing or guessing as you say if the candidate you like will win or not are two different things. Until the very last day there was full confidence and hope: former Secretary Clinton would be the new U.S. President. But, the fundamental factor that made candidate Donald Trump overcome all barriers was present even during the election day. This factor is undoubtedly the public anger with the political elite, institutions and the U.S. political establishment. It is now a fact that this kind of anger is not only taking place in the U.S., but is turning into a global phenomenon. We have seen it in several consolidated democratic countries across Europe. What did Donald Trump do? He offered voters change versus the current status quo and the continuity that Hillary Clinton represented. Of course, when I say he offered/proposed change, I don’t mean the change related to replacing the Democrats administration with a new administration, the Republican one. No. Donald Trump’s victory is not a vote against the Democrats and a vote for the Republicans. It is a vote for change, a vote against the status quo, with which American citizens have become infuriated.
Trump simply led them in overcoming this status quo. Trump didn’t represent either part of the U.S. political establishment. We saw how he beat his rivals inside the Republican Party. On the other hand, maybe Senator Bernie Sanders, had he received the Democrats nomination, it wouldn’t be unlikely that he would be able to successfully lead in this ‘revolt’ against the establishment and the status quo, although he was not as much of an outsider as Donald Trump. The latter won over everybody and even against some journalists, analysts and polls and research centers predicting Secretary Clinton’s victory. The reason is simple: all the above are part of the establishment and reflect the culture of the status quo based on the concepts and ideas we understand and explain politics considering the way we carry out analysis and opinion polls.
There is kind of shock, constraint, concern in Europe over Donald Trump’s victory. What’s your comment. Will things change in world after this?
Rakipi: I don’t think European leaders are in a state of shock. What I think is that undoubtedly the result of these U.S. presidential elections is a great surprise. And among the reasons for this surprise, is also the failure of the European political elites to understand and manage the public anger against the status quo. Of course, these are expected changes in international relations, but substantially these U.S. elections and their result should be viewed as revolutionary in democratic countries’ domestic policies.
And how will the U.S. with Donald Trump as president develop Euro-Atlantic relations, especially the U.S.-EU and the U.S.-NATO relations?
Rakipi: We have to wait and see the ‘Trump Doctrine’ in the U.S. foreign relations. There are a number of important issues in Euro-Atlantic cooperation, including the NATO’s future, on which President Trump offered a contradictory approach.
What about relations with the region, Albania?
Rakipi: There is concern regarding promises made by President Trump over an isolationist approach of the U.S. in foreign affairs. But, for the time being, it can only be speculated. However, I think that every step that the future American administration would undertake toward an isolationist policy, would have extraordinary implications globally, including our region and of course Albania.
It is very important that we have more U.S. attention in this region, including of course Albania, especially if we consider that EU is not in its best days. But there are questions whether this is possible when the world is facing many serious challenges such as the economic crisis, immigration, regional conflicts and instability in very strategic regions for global security and peace.
In Albania, there’s spectacular support to develop and strengthen relations with the United States. But we have to strengthen relations with the U.S., even protect them with new ideas complying with national interests. I think the Albanian politicians’ efforts to buy support in Washington is wrong, in fact this happens not to advance the country’s interests, but the short-term political interests of their power. For example, even advanced nations like Germany and Norway invest funds in U.S. research centers to influence on certain policies of the American government which are also in compliance with the national interests of Germany and Norway, when considering only these two countries as examples.
Likewise, I believe there are other ways have to be found to strengthen relations between Tirana and Washington.
(Courtesy of DW Albanian Service, translated by Tirana Times.)
