On Januray the 15th, 2026 the current Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, was being interviewed by a Greek-American journalist in Abu Dhabi, during the Sustainable Development Summit. What followed was an episode which highlights how context, humor, and selective media framing can quickly escalate into diplomatic tension.
Speaking directly to the moderator, Rama remarked that Greeks tend to "underestimate others" because they believe they hold a "monopoly on philosophy" and view themselves as the "direct heirs of Plato and Aristotle—but you are not." The exchange escalated when the moderator mentioned a €1 billion investment project in Albania. Rama interjected, correcting that the figure was actually "over €1 billion," then added another jab: "You estimate like Greeks do. When you talk about your own money, you add three zeroes. When you talk about the money of others, you remove three zeroes. That’s what you do." He wrapped up the comment with sarcasm, noting that this approach is "why the European Union loves you so much."
Naturally the Greek media and social media went on fire. However, following the backlash over his remarks about the Greeks , Albania’s PM Edi Rama clarified that his comments were intended as humor, expressing surprise at the scale of the controversy. He pushed back against Greek media outlets, accusing them of a “public attack fueled by nationalist passion.” He insisted his comments were “steeped in friendly humor” and taken out of context. To reassure his critics, Rama added, “I have not the slightest doubt that Plato and Aristotle are Greek philosophers and that Ancient Greece is the cradle of European civilization.” However, he ended with a sharp retort, stating that, while he respects Greek culture and the Prime Minister, he refuses to accept that those attacking him with “nationalist fervor” are the rightful descendants of such great philosophers.
In an interview with the Greek television station Alpha, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis adopted a calm and pragmatic approach. He stated:“I have known Mr. Rama for many years. He has a particular way of expressing himself and sometimes things slip out that he should not say. This time he said something inappropriate and understood his mistake. I take into account the correction he made, and it is better to leave the issue behind us.”
Personally I think that both Mr Rama and Albania as a country, behave like individuals with inferiority complexes; yet they should not really! The "jokes" were made by the Albanian PM towards a Greek-American journalist if I may add, an American with Greek ancestry, who may not be really aware of what is going on latelly in Albania.
His Greek ancestry is not an invitation or an excuse to make jokes about Greece as a country, especially when they are unprovoked. Nothing that the journalist asked, invited the "humour" of Mr Rama. And to make matters worse, the Albanian PM in his "clarification" stated that he has no doubt that Plato and Aristotle were Greek, yet he did not exactly disputed that in his comments towards the journalist, rather that the modern Greek population has anything to do with them. Something that he expressed again when he complained about the backclash he caused, by refusing to accept that those attacking him with “nationalist fervor” are the rightful descendants of such great philosophers.
One can sense the complex and envy in his words, like for example the "joke" on why the E.U loves Greece so much, when Greeks in general and as a nation, estimate like the way we do. When we talk about our own money, we add three zeroes. When we talk about the money of others, we remove three zeroes.
Stereotypes in general are not a good thing. Mr Rama should remember the famous film "Taken", and how the villains in this movie were an Albanian mafia, trafficking girls across Europe for sexual exploitation. It is not any of us Greeks that are to be blamed for this indeed very unfair portrayal and sterotype that the Albanian people must carry. Our Balkan neighbors must do some soul searching to figure out why and how this came to be, plus find ways to undo this bad image that exists for them across Europe and the rest of the world. But this won't happen by attacking the Greek people and their history, but by proving to the rest of Europe what does Albania has to offer as a nation; and it has-a lot.
Clearly the Greek side over-reacted and unleashed scathing attacks against Rama and the Albanian people in general, which serve as nothing more rather than releasing internal anger and frustration, and as Mr Rama said a misplaced "nationalist passion". However I understand where this comes from and why my compatriots reacted in such way.
We too had to deal with unfair and misplaced stereotypes in Europe, for over a decade now since the Eurozone economic crisis. The Greeks had also to suffer humiliation, economic suffering and injustice to this day, and that made us oversensitive to any such comments and jokes like that of Mr Rama.
In addition, there are numerous social media accounts from our neighboring countries like Albania, Turkey and North Macedonia, spreading false claims, irredentism and propaganda about Greek history, borders, nationality, ethnic identity and the very "jokes" that Mr Rama made; that Greeks are not descended from our ancient ancestors. All of which are false and it has been proven that Greeks are indeed related to their famous forefathers, although understandably not exclusively. You see nationalism and its "passion" goes both ways and is not confined only within the Greek borders. Our Balkan neighbors also suffer a great deal from it.
Now, nobody I know of Greek origin, wakes up in the morning, looks himself in the mirror and boasts about his ancient heritage. We got lots of other problems to solve in our everyday lives, plus as a modern nation. But when it comes to a continuous belittlement, disputes that become toxic, humiliation by our EU partners, scorn by Western media etc, then yes we will answer back just like Mr Rama did when he found himself in hot waters after his comments, and his compatriots that rallied to support him on social media.
Greece was among the first countries, together with Italy, which opened its borders and welcomed thousands of Albanian immigrants when their country was faced with the collapse of communism, gave them work and helped them to rebuilt their lives. I worked with many of them in my youth and my experiences were largely positive. Additionally, those immigrants contributed hugely in the Greek society and economy, something that is undisputed to this day. Not that there were no problems in this new reality that both countries found themselves in.
Greek media fanned the Greek "nationalistic passion," just like today and in every country, by blaming all crimes on "foreign born" criminals. As if suddenly the Greek ones disappeared and migrants from Romania, Albania and Georgia took their place. However, Albanian criminal gangs did indeed commit lots of crimes back then, that is something that cannot be disputed; just the notion that every immigrant in Greece, especially from Albania, was enganging in such activities.
Our two nations have long history of living and working together, sometimes fighting each other or finding themselves on opposing sides. But that is true for all European nations. The difference is, that once in the EU- whose role was originally conceived as to abolish all wars and animosity among the European nations, such sentiments should fade away. A member of the block cannot engage in such demeanor towards another EU member state; especially its Prime Minister who speaks and represents the nation diplomatically abroad, and is not some internet Albanian troll with a fake account on social media, that scorns the Greek people and history in such manner.
That is why many Greeks like myself, see very favorably Albania's EU accession, when the rest of Europe is ready to take them in. It is not Greece that is sceptical about Albania's EU aspirations, rather the rest of the continent which suffers from expansion fatigue, plus each individual member state is faced with their own economic woes lately. You see Mr Rama, the EU does not "love us" more than they love Albania, rather we were only lucky to get in the club, before thigs started to feel sour in EU on expansion.
Where in EU's recent treatment of Greece you whitnessed that European leaders and media are being favorable towards us to have so much envy and an underlined complex towards our country, that in any opportunity which arises, you make "jokes" towards an American citizen of Greek ancestry? Which begs the question then, why you spoke so favorably for Italy and its Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to whom you even kneeled to welcome her in a recent summit in Tirana? Are the Italians true descendants of the Romans, or has Italy done more than Greece to help fleeing Albanian citizens back in the '90s, or maybe their treatment of Albanian refugees was better than how we treated those who crossed into our country en masse?
Perhaps Italy is more vocal and supportive towards the Albanian EU accession than Greece? No matter what the reasons are, such comments do not do any favors to Albania as a country, the Greek-Albanian relations that should be as close as those you got with Italy, or any EU aspirations that your country may have. It is not proper or suitable for a Prime Minister of a country to make unfortunate "jokes" towards an allied nation in NATO, hopefully an EU partner, just because and American journalist that had a Greek surname, asked you a few wrong questions. Albania deserves better than that.
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