According to information from Albanian political and business circles, Fate Velaj is said to have put himself forward as a possible candidate for Mayor of Tirana. Prime Minister Edi Rama, however, reportedly opposed the idea. Instead of governing Tirana, Rama’s long-time political ally now represents Albania as Ambassador to Austria.

The arrest of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj has shaken Albanian politics. Veliaj was arrested on the orders of Albania’s Special Prosecution Office, SPAK. He faces allegations including corruption and money laundering. He denies the accusations and is presumed innocent. International media have also reported extensively on the case.

The affair triggered discussions within the governing Socialist Party over who could potentially lead Albania’s politically and economically most important city in the future. According to information obtained by exxtra24 through conversations with individuals from Albanian political and business circles, Fate Velaj is also said to have approached Prime Minister Edi Rama as a possible candidate.

Was Velaj too politically risky for Prime Minister Rama?

Several sources believe that Rama did not want his long-time confidant at the helm of Tirana. According to them, the reasons had less to do with Velaj’s political experience and more with the numerous controversies surrounding him.

There was reportedly also resistance within the Socialist Party to a possible candidacy. Several members of parliament are said to have viewed such a solution critically. Fate Velaj is also perceived very negatively by parts of the Albanian public.

What is undisputed is that Rama and Velaj have a long-standing political relationship. Velaj was appointed Rama’s adviser on cultural diplomacy as early as 2013, served as a member of the Albanian Parliament from 2017 to 2021, and was later proposed by Rama as Albania’s Ambassador to Austria.

His appointment as ambassador had already sparked political debate in Austria. The NEOS party submitted a parliamentary inquiry on the matter:
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/J/18722/fnameorig_1630818.html

The FPÖ also submitted a corresponding inquiry to the Austrian federal government regarding Fate Velaj.

According to insiders interviewed by exxtra24, sending Velaj to Vienna may have offered Rama an additional advantage: Velaj received a diplomatic post while at the same time being removed from the immediate domestic political spotlight in Albania.

Questions surrounding academic work

Particularly serious are the publicly raised doubts surrounding Velaj’s academic record. These concern, on the one hand, a degree from the controversial private Kristal University in Albania and, on the other, a thesis submitted in Vienna.

Austrian plagiarism expert Stefan Weber concluded in his examination that Velaj’s work contained substantial passages copied from other sources and failed to meet academic standards.

Exxtra24 is also examining information concerning possible inconsistencies surrounding the academic degree of another person from Velaj’s circle in Austria. Exxtra24 is in possession of the person’s name, positions and dissertation. Exxtra24 will continue to investigate the matter.

Further serious allegations

Velaj has also faced additional allegations in Austrian and Albanian media. Reports have included alleged irregularities relating to social security benefits, as well as claims that he protected a female relative on the premises of the Albanian Embassy in Vienna.

Exxtra24 currently does not know whether SPAK, Albania’s Special Prosecution Office, is still investigating Fate Velaj in connection with these alleged incidents. The presumption of innocence also applies in this context.

Poor reputation in parts of the Albanian business community

The extent to which Velaj is viewed critically within parts of the Albanian business community is illustrated by the statement of a successful Albanian businessman to exxtra24:

“Is Fate still with you in Austria? In any case, we are glad he is no longer causing trouble here in Albania.”

The quotation does not constitute a statement of fact but reflects the personal and strongly negative opinion of the source. His identity is known to the editorial team. For business and political reasons, however, he does not wish to be publicly associated with Fate Velaj.

The statement illustrates just how controversial Velaj is among parts of Albanian society and the Albanian diaspora. While he presents himself as an artist, writer, cultural manager and bridge-builder between Albania and Austria, his critics primarily view him as a political beneficiary of Edi Rama’s support.

They portray him as a former electrician from Vlora whose rise all the way to the position of ambassador would hardly have been possible without the Prime Minister’s long-standing backing.

Was Tirana spared Velaj – or was Velaj spared Tirana?

Whether Rama actually considered Fate Velaj as a possible mayoral candidate, or whether Velaj put himself forward for the position on his own initiative, cannot currently be independently verified.

Nevertheless, the political circumstances and timing raise questions. Following the serious allegations against Erion Veliaj, the Socialist Party would have needed a candidate as free from controversy as possible in the event of a replacement at the head of the capital. Given the controversies surrounding his academic background and the other allegations raised publicly against him, Fate Velaj would have represented a considerable political risk.

If the information provided by exxtra24’s sources is accurate, Rama may have achieved two political objectives by appointing Velaj to a diplomatic position: he provided a long-time political ally with a prestigious post while at the same time preventing controversies surrounding Velaj’s past from becoming the defining issue of a possible mayoral candidacy in Tirana.

Credits: BKA