EU urges Albania to follow legal procedures after Greek mayor guilty of vote buying.

The European Commission has called on Albania to enforce the right to a fair trial following the sentencing of Fredi Beleri, the Greek minority challenger who won elections in the southern municipality of Himara, to prison for vote buying, which has exacerbated tensions between Tirana and Athens.

Earlier this week, Beleri, of Greek descent, who won the 2023 local elections but was prevented from taking office due to imprisonment pending trial, will now serve a two-year prison sentence. He denies all charges, accuses the courts of politicization, and his lawyers say they intend to appeal.

His arrest two days before the election on suspicion of buying four votes caused tensions between Athens and Tirana, with Greece threatening to use a veto against Albania's EU membership if all charges were dropped and Beleri could stand for mayor. Contacted for Euractiv, an EU spokesperson said, "We continue to monitor developments. We do not comment on ongoing trials and call for the right to a fair trial to be respected."

Beleri won the election in the Greek minority town of Himar, but several appeals to allow him to be sworn in or to reduce his imprisonment to a house arrest were rejected by the court. Beleri has said he will now appeal to the European Court of Justice. Athens has repeatedly demanded that Albania allow him to be sworn in, calling it politically and ethnically motivated. The Albanian government has said it cannot interfere in the trials and the judicial system should be allowed to run its course.

Read more: Greece pressures Albania to show ‘way out’ of bilateral crisis

Critics in Athens have stated that there is a business motivation behind this situation, hinting that the government wants to maintain control over the issuance of building permits in Himara, a popular summer resort with a lucrative real estate market.

“This is not a bilateral issue, but a matter of the rule of law, which, as shown by EU regulations, is a clear condition for advancing accession procedures,” the source added.

Greek Minister of State Makis Voridis has taken a more decisive stance, stating that the Beleri case is a reason for the "freezing" of Albania's path to the EU. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has consistently emphasized that he cannot interfere with the justice system, which was recently reformed with the support of Athens and EU member states to make it more independent from corruption and political influence. He also condemned Athens for attempting to interfere in the internal legal system and using the EU to exert pressure.

Since the incident in May, Greek-Albanian relations have further deteriorated. In August, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided not to invite Rama to the meeting of Western Balkan leaders and the European Commission in Athens. "When it comes to the Balkans, it's always the Balkans," Rama told Euractiv. Additionally, at the Ukraine summit organized by Edi Rama last month, Mitsotakis did not attend, sending only a "low-level diplomatic representation." This came after Rama accused Greece of "deceiving" on the path to the EU during an interview with Euractiv in 2022, which triggered a diplomatic crisis ahead of the Western Balkans summit.

Alice Taylor, Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv.com

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• The European Commission has urged Albania to ensure the right to a fair trial is upheld.
• Beleri, a candidate from the Greek minority, was sentenced to prison for vote buying.
• Greece threatened to use its veto against Albania's accession to the EU.
• Critics point to business motivations and interference in the justice system.
• The Greek government minister announced a "freeze" on Albania's path to the EU.
• The Albanian Prime Minister emphasizes the independence of the judiciary and condemns attempts to interfere in Albania's internal affairs.
• Relations between Greece and Albania have deteriorated.
• The Greek Prime Minister decided not to invite the Albanian Prime Minister to the meeting of the leaders of the Western Balkans and the European Commission.