TIRANA, Jan. 7 – In Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s decision to replace Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati with young and inexperienced Gent Cakaj from Kosovo has caused controversy in context of the foreign policy challenges Albania faces this year.
On Dec. 28, Rama announced major changes in the government cabinet, completely reshuffling some of the most high-rank Social Party representatives such as Bushati, Economy Minister Arben Ahmetaj, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Damian Gjiknuri.
Bushati’s dismissal in particular caused major controversy among political actors, mainly due to Rama decision to replace him with Cakaj, whom local political experts have qualified as too young both in experience and capacity to manage the country’s foreign relations even if only as a doll in the hands of Rama.
“Rama’s claim that his candidate has read many books is ridiculous, such is the myth that is being created that the 28-year-old is an academic for holding a Bachelor degree from the Pristina University and two Masters degrees in Hungary and Belgium. Surely, you can find plenty among Albania’s youth with the right Western qualifications,” an Albanian Institute for International Studies expert said.
Political experts have also said Cakaj’s inexperience can prove problematic in context of Albania’s soon-to-come OSCE presidency in 2020, the ongoing process to open accession negotiations with the EU, while also waiting to become part of the Troika’s organization starting next year and being in the process of dialogue with Greece to address a number of pending issues, including the Maritime Border Agreement.
“Appointment of the young man from Kosovo fits Rama’s exhibitionist and populist style well, but what the country really needs is serious, rather than provocative, representation. This is quite similar to Rama’s choice of wearing sneakers in some of his most official meetings, for example with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and not only,” a Western diplomat told Tirana Times in anonymity.
The country’s President Ilir Meta already gave signs of scepticism regarding Rama’s decision by not decreeing Bushati’s dismissal and Cakaj’s appointment on Saturday.
On a similar note, another international relations expert and former high-rank official in Albania’s previous government said “the first real, non-negligible, problem is that Cakaj is an expatriate from another country, that of Kosovo, and only became an Albanian citizen ten months ago. Think of how absurd it would be if the Kosovo PM named foreign minister someone from Albania, even if they were the most prominent academic. Albania needs a minister of its own, who knows and understands the language. Language is not just a communication tool, but also culture.”
One of the Socialist government’s highest priorities has been EU membership – a process being headed for a while now (since Albania became an official candidate in 2014) by the foreign affairs ministry. It is still to open the process of accession negotiations with the EU, and although Rama has said 2019 will be the year for that, the abrupt change of institutional leadership has cast doubt on that.
However, political science experts have pointed out that small states with a big need for integration need to choose noteworthy and experienced political actors to lead their foreign relations.
“Serious and responsible states need to take particular care to name as foreign minister a noteworthy and properly capable name from the field of diplomacy, despite the fact the PM holds an essential part in the country’s foreign relations. Although Rama’s previous appointment of Bushati as chief of foreign affairs was mediocre, when there were far better choices within the SP, Bushati was nonetheless a political appointment and held a mandate,” local political experts pointed out.
Bushati comes from the governing SP party and, despite various criticism towards his work from different sides of the political spectrum, still held a certain unexpressed consensus from the public and the opposition.
After Rama’s major changes, the main opposition Democratic Party called the government reshuffle a real mockery of the Albanian people.
It now remains to be seen whether Meta will give the green light to Rama’s proposition to name Cakaj foreign minister, after the seven days the constitution provides for him to make all necessary verifications.
So far, he has said he is conducted the necessary verification of all proposed new ministers’ integrity of figure.
“All names proposed for ministerial posts are going through the standards procedure of having their integrity verified, so that they respect the ministerial institutions as very important constitutional institutions,” Meta told local media.
Asked specifically about Cakaj, Meta said that all constitutional deadlines will be respected and added his answer will depend on the answer of the institutions which the president has addressed to receive information regarding the appointments.
