Europe enables Albania’s ‘Ramaduro’ while claiming to champion democracy

While Europe claims to champion democracy, it’s quietly empowering autocrats like Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama. Elected to a fourth term with a supermajority capable of amending the constitution, Rama is now known by critics as the “Ramaduro” of Europe—an allusion to
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro—for his alleged corruption, autocratic tendencies, and mastery of political deception.

A former disciple of George Soros and the Open Society, Rama has transformed himself into a political chameleon—molding his image to match the interests of the global elites and regional strongmen.

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Submissive to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, compliant with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and supportive of French President Emmanuel Macron in exchange for greater Balkan influence, Rama has secured a fourth consecutive mandate through elections many describe as deeply flawed—unthinkable for a NATO member and aspiring EU state.

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama speaks during a high level Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (AP)

Rama rose from a representative of Open Society in Tirana to leading a country with one of Europe’s most brutal communist legacies. Critics describe him as a narcissist and an anarchist, a product of Soros’s post-communist influence in Eastern Europe. He consolidated power in Albania
while advancing the Soros-backed “Open Balkan” initiative. More recently, he’s taken on a new role: the socialist progressive who worked to undermine Trump-era initiatives in Europe.

Known for his anti-Trump rhetoric—including his infamous statement on CNN and Foreign Policy calling Trump “the shame of our civilization”—Rama became a favorite among European elites and American Democrats. His political survival has depended on aligning with the anti-Trump order, even as his domestic leadership veers toward authoritarianism.

Rama consolidated power in Albania while advancing the “Open Balkan” initiative of George Soros (above). (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Today, as Europe grapples with a multipolar world and complex geopolitical challenges, it increasingly tolerates—if not embraces—leaders like Rama. Why? Because he professes allegiance to “European values,” despite presiding over what critics call a narco-state built on organized crime and electoral manipulation.

Rama represents a European version of the Chávez-Maduro model: a leftist autocrat cloaked in progressive language, wielding power with little regard for democratic norms. He embodies the stabilocracy plaguing the Balkans—regimes tolerated for the sake of regional calm, despite eroding the very values Europe claims to uphold.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent effort to block Chevron from renewing its contract in Maduro’s Venezuela is a bold example of principled leadership—denying legitimacy and resources to authoritarian regimes. America must apply that same clarity to the Balkans.

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Even many Albanians now refer to their leader as “Ramaduro”—a desperate signal to the United States for help in restoring democracy. America’s position should serve as a wake-up call to a Europe that has grown comfortable coexisting with mafia-style regimes rooted in corruption and repression. Europe cannot justify supporting autocrats simply because their critics are conservatives or aligned with President Trump.

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It’s time for U.S. diplomacy to take concrete steps. That means increased pressure on Albania’s leadership, public support for free and fair elections, and a clear message: Alignment with Western values is measured by action, not empty declarations.