Page 54 - bne monthly magazine October 2022

54 I Southeast Europe bne October 2022
Albania’s opposition Democrats to probe allegation party received $500,000 from Russia
bne IntelliNews
Albania’s opposition Democrats will probe an allegation the party received $500,000 from Russia, as part of hundreds of millions of dollars the US State Department said were directed by Moscow at foreign political parties and individuals.
Political parties in the Western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro are believed to have been among those targeted by Russia, which according to the US State Department covertly channelled over $300mn to foreign political parties and individuals.
Russia has long been engaged in
a struggle for influence in the Western Balkans mainly against the EU and US. While Russian influence has dwindled as all the countries in the region aspire to join the EU and several have already joined Nato, Russian efforts to prevent its westward movement have continued. Since the invasion of Ukraine in Febuary, there have been fears Russia could try to further destabilise the region.
A State Department cable, quoted by newswires and discussed at a briefing on September 13, alleges that Moscow covertly spent over $300mn in the last eight years to influence politicians and officials in over 20 countries.
While the cable does not name the countries, parties or individuals targeted, sources quoted by newswires say that parties from Albania, Bosnia and Montenegro were among them.
A source within the US administration quoted by AFP that Moscow had spent around $500,000 to support Albania’s Democratic Party in the 2017 general elections.
AFP also quoted the source as saying Russia had financially supported parties
www.bne.eu
or candidates in Bosnia, Montenegro and Madagascar.
Another source quoted by AP also pointed to Russian influence in elections in Albania, Bosnia and Montenegro.
Contacted by bne IntelliNews, a State Department spokesperson declined to elaborate on specific intelligence information.
The spokesperson added: “we have been clear about our concern about Russia’s activity to influence the democratic process in various countries around the world, including our own. Our concern over Russia’s activity in this regard is not with any one country but global in nature as we continue to face challenges against democratic societies.”
An 'assault on sovereignty'
At a media briefing on September 13, US State Department spokesman Ned Price called Russian interference in foreign elections an "assault on sovereignty".
“[W]hat Russia is doing around the world in terms of its election meddling is also an assault on sovereignty. It is an effort to chip away at the ability of people around the world to choose the government
While he did not provide many further details, he outlined the reasons why the State Department released the information.
“[P]art of our charge not only is to do that assessment and to collect and to do that analysis, but then to expose what we know, because in order to fight this, in many ways we have to put a spotlight on it,” he told journalists.
“And so by exposing Russia’s strategies and Russia’s tactics publicly, but then also discussing these tactics and strategies privately in diplomatic channels, in intelligence channels, with partners around the world, sharing practices for how we can put an end to Russia’s meddling, that is also something that we’re going about.”
Albania’s Democratic Party to probe alleged funding
The centre-right Democratic Party’s current leader Sali Berisha – who has been sanctioned by the US for ‘significant corruption’ – accused the party’s former leader Lulzim Basha of being personally responsible for the alleged Russian funding in a Facebook post on September 14.
“[T]he Democratic Party declares that, after becoming aware of indications
“What Russia is doing around the world in terms of its election meddling is also an assault on sovereignty. It is an effort to chip away at the ability of people around the world to choose the government that they see best fit to represent them”
that they see best fit to represent them, to represent their interests, to represent their values,” said Price, according to
a transcript of the briefing.
that spoke of a Russian financing, it has publicly denounced this personal act of Lulzim Basha ... The Democratic Party will ask its forums to set up a working