Berisha coalition ally slams Fredi Beleri, calls him a disgrace to Albanian politics

Shpëtim Idrizi, chairman of the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity (PDIU), has launched a fierce attack against Fredi Beleri, the nationalist ethnic Greek politician and current Member of the European Parliament, during televised comments this week. Though both men are formally part of the same opposition coalition led by Sali Berisha, Idrizi made clear that he does not consider himself “under the same political roof” as Beleri.

Why is this important: Idrizi’s remarks lay bare the internal contradictions of Berisha’s opposition alliance. As the political leader of Albania’s Cham community—expelled from Greece after WWII in an act of ethnic cleansing that continues to cause tensions between the two countries—Idrizi’s presence alongside Beleri, a Greek nationalist figure, has long been viewed as politically untenable. The tension has now erupted into public criticism, revealing deeper discomfort and possible electoral fallout.

Context: In a heated appearance in A2CNN, Idrizi slammed Beleri’s inclusion in Berisha’s campaign events in both Himara and Greece. He stated bluntly: “Fredi Beleri would shame any Albanian political party that had him as a candidate. Now, he’s a Member of the European Parliament.”

Idrizi emphasized he has never changed his stance on Beleri, whom he accused of using irredentist language and of being “convicted for humiliating the Republic of Albania.”

He also distanced himself from the ongoing narrative around Beleri’s conviction over vote buying in 2023—refusing to comment on the legal process—but made clear the political optics were unacceptable.

“He’s a repeat offender. He talks to me about Epirus and Çamëria. That’s not my tent. That’s Berisha’s decision—but I am not in a tent with Fredi Beleri.”

Cham issue & coalition costs: Idrizi’s PDIU represents the Cham Albanian community—tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians expelled from northern Greece after WWII, in what Albanian historians regard as a case of ethnic cleansing. The issue remains unresolved and is a source of tension between Tirana and Athens to this day.

His coalition with Berisha, who has embraced Beleri politically and diplomatically, has been deeply controversial among Cham voters despite the fact that the community has traditionally leaned to the right. Sources within PDIU acknowledge that the alliance has cost the party electorally, and Idrizi’s recent comments are seen as a necessary repositioning ahead of Albania’s May 11 elections.

What’s next: Despite public friction, Idrizi has chosen to remain in the Berisha-led coalition—arguing that withdrawing would allow others to sideline the Cham issue in Parliament.

“I won’t give anyone the satisfaction of pushing the Cham issue out of Parliament,” he said.

Still, his remarks have reignited debate around Beleri’s role in Albanian politics, and whether Berisha’s alignment with Greek conservative figures is creating unsustainable contradictions within the opposition bloc.