Vienna, 15/11/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed harsh criticism after hateful remarks were made by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama against the country’s media and journalists in the past weeks.
On 9 November, Rama opened the EU–Western Balkans Media Days conference in Tirana, and during his speech, he went on a hate tirade against Albanian media.
Rama spoke several times in the past months negative about media. He was claiming they were “not trustworthy” and that they “violate the dignity of people in Albania from day to night”. He also added that “in Albania, the media are growing like a tumor in the hands of the rich”.
Three weeks ago Rama also verbally attacked journalists reporting from Parliament.
Additional in October, during the “Tirana Business Matching 2017” Rama told potential foreign investors: “Don’t meet journalists and don’t read newspapers, because it will upset your digestive system.” Foreign investors should t rely only on official government information,
Several months ago, during a TV show Rama played a game in which he gave his opinions on journalists as the host named them. Rama described 19 of 21 journalists names given with negative desriptions.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.