Prime Minister Edi Rama participated this Friday in the opening ceremony of the new academic year at the College of Europe. During his speech, Rama emphasized the importance of Europe for our country.

He described Europe not as a geographical territory, but as a choice and an opportunity for cooperation, standing against division and conflict.

“Albania is a very rare country in today’s Europe, where the European dream is still fresh, urgent, emotional—not taken for granted, not degraded.

The belief in Europe is at such a high level that even an old EU veteran can do nothing but blush like a love-struck teenager. Europe is not geography; it is a choice. It is not a place; it is the decision to choose cooperation over confrontation,” Rama said.

He then referred to the British Secretary, who recently announced publicly the deportation of around 700 Albanian families living in accommodation, after their asylum applications were rejected.

“Let me mention an example. A few days ago, the UK Home Secretary referred to around 700 Albanian families living in taxpayer-funded accommodation after the rejection of their asylum applications.

Seven hundred families in a country of 67 million inhabitants—statistical whisper turned into a political siren.

Why am I mentioning this? Not to complain, nor to confuse the EU with its very bitter ex. When a European minister—even after Brexit, which we can understand as trauma—chooses to rally a small community to score political points… fear speaks louder than facts. And it still finds an audience,” Prime Minister Rama emphasized.