Berisha meets former Enlargement Commissioner Hahn, despite history of harsh criticism

Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha met with former European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn during the European People’s Party (EPP) Congress in Valencia, in a meeting the DP described as friendly and constructive. The party praised the encounter as a sign of growing international support for Albania’s opposition, just days ahead of the country’s May 11 parliamentary elections.

Why this is important: The meeting is notable not only for its timing—amid an election campaign and growing scrutiny over Berisha’s international lobbying efforts—but also because of Berisha’s past attacks on Hahn. During Hahn’s tenure as EU commissioner, Berisha frequently accused him of favoring Prime Minister Edi Rama and undermining democracy in Albania. The reversal suggests Berisha is now seeking to rebuild bridges in Brussels as part of a broader strategy to gain legitimacy abroad.

Context: According to the Democratic Party, Berisha used the meeting to raise concerns about what he described as the deterioration of democratic standards in Albania. He reportedly cited government pressure on opposition forces, institutional capture, and increasing emigration as symptoms of what he called Rama’s misrule. Hahn, now a prominent member of the EPP, was said to have expressed his support for strengthening democracy in Albania and reaffirmed his backing for the country’s EU integration.

While the DP celebrated the meeting as a diplomatic success, the political irony was hard to ignore. Berisha, during Hahn’s time in office, often labeled him a “Rama ally” and accused him of turning a blind eye to authoritarian tendencies in Albania. Several of those past criticisms remain easily accessible online.

What’s next: As Berisha works to reposition himself on the international stage—amid legal challenges at home and U.S. sanctions—meetings like this appear designed to signal renewed respectability and international engagement. Whether such gestures can offset skepticism about his record remains to be seen, but the timing suggests a calculated effort to present the DP as a viable, pro-European alternative ahead of the election.