Following violent protests led by Albania’s Democratic Party (DP), the German CDU, a key member of the European People’s Party (EPP) to which DP belong, issued a strong condemnation of the events, holding DP leader Sali Berisha responsible for inspiring the violence.

Why is this important: The CDU’s public reaction to the DP protest of October 7 was extremely harsh. It singled out Sali Berisha as responsible and dismantled all of the arguments of the DO. The reaction is indicative of the growing international isolation of DP.

Context and details:

• Gunther Krichbaum, CDU/CSU spokesperson for European Affairs, declared that “every act of violence is completely unacceptable and entirely unworthy of a country aiming to become a member of the European Union.” He specifically blamed Berisha for “inspiring these protests” and called on him to “immediately distance himself from this kind of protest and expel the perpetrators from the party.”
• Krichbaum further lamented that the Democratic Party, which “once relied on European values,” has increasingly deviated from these principles in recent years. He noted that this departure has led to “the European People’s Party (EPP) and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag distancing themselves from the DP, especially due to the role of Berisha, who is currently under house arrest.”
• Krichbaum emphasized the need for peaceful demonstrations: “The effort to present the best concepts and arguments must always take place without violence.”
• He added that Albania’s future as a democratic nation requires “an honest figure at the helm” of the DP. Krichbaum warned that Berisha’s attempts to present himself as a victim of a politically motivated process are baseless, as “SPAK, which placed him under house arrest, is beyond any doubt.”

Conclusion: Krichbaum’s statement from the CDU underscores the loss of patience with DP and Berisha by even its erstwhile key partners.