Several weeks ago, the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced a new minister to fight corruption; her name is Diella (Albanian for “sun”). Typically, this would be an oversized news item; however, in the case of Diella, she isn’t a human being, she is an AI chatbot. According to a report in The Washington Post, while this hire is seen as a PR stunt mainly because, according to the Albanian constitution, members of the cabinet must be human, there is hope that Diella can streamline and clean up the corruption-prone government procurement system. According to Transparency International, Albania has a serious problem with corruption, as indicated by its Corruption Perceptions Index, which rates countries on a scale from 0 to 100 (0 being the lowest and 100 being the highest). Albania is rated 42, indicating that it has considerable work to do to improve its performance. While it is admirable to see a country like Albania attempt to tackle its corruption problem, I have my doubts about whether an AI chatbot will have a lasting positive impact.
Tag: Albania
Albania Rocked by Corruption Protests.
Earlier this week, protests centered around the alleged corruption of the ruling Socialist Party have shaken the country’s political foundations. The protests also came on the 33rd anniversary of the toppling of the former dictator Enver Hoxha. According to a report by ABC opposition politicians, civil society is frustrated by the Albanian parliament not investigating allegations of corruption by Prime Minister Edi Rama and his cabinet. The protests also supported former prime minister and current opposition leader Sali Berisha, who is under house arrest facing corruption charges related to helping his son-in-law facilitate a real estate deal. I don’t see this situation resolved peacefully anytime soon, and I fear that a wave of political instability could affect Albania shortly.
Former Albanian PM Ensnared in Corruption Probe.
The former Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berisha, was recently charged with corruption offenses. According to a Reuters article, Berisha hopes to steer the privatization of land once owned by a local football club, FK Partizani, in such a way that it would benefit a company owned by his son-in-law. According to a report from the AP, Berisha believes these charges are politically motivated by the current PM, Edi Rama. Berisha has a checkered history involving corruption; according to ABC News, in 2021, Berisha was banned from entering the US due to numerous allegations of corruption during their tenure as PM from 2005 to 2013. It is unclear how this will play out, but I would assume that Berisha may well be facing a stretch behind bars.
Old Tensions Between Kosovo and Serbia Flare up.
In recent weeks, long-held tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have simmered to the surface. Kosovo is an ethnically divided country between Albanians and Serbians. Despite independence and vocal support from the West, there is always a fear of Serbia trying to reclaim what it sees as its rightful territory. According to an article in CNBC, there has been violence on Kosovo’s northern border with Serbia, not to mention Serbian military units amassed on the border. In late September, there was a shootout between Kosovar police and heavily armed Serbs. One of the major sticking points is that, according to the AP, The Serbian population in the North of Kosovo, particularly in the city of Mitrovica, feels the government in Pristina is not representing them. Earlier this year, the Serbian population in the north boycotted local elections, allowing ethnic Albanians to claim most of the mayoral positions, further alienating the Serbs. While the rest of Europe focuses on Russia and Ukraine, the situation in Kosovo should warrant closer examination by Western leaders.
Crispin Corruption Report 