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| Pati Bardhami |
The main problems of the Albanian community in Greece are pension issues and Greek citizenship. This was stated by Pati Vardhami, the Albanian candidate of the Mera 25 party, in the Debate Studio on A2 CNN. She spoke about her party's specific proposals to address these issues.
"The main problems of the Albanian community are pension issues and political rights related to Greek citizenship. These are major problems that we need to address in one way or another. It is a vital issue for the community. People who have been here for 30 or 40 years are at pension age. The current law is discriminatory. The law requires a person to have legal documents proving 40 years of residence. The majority of the Albanian community cannot meet this criterion. Our proposal is the cancellation of the years of residence in Greece as a main criterion, which does not exist in any other country. It is a racist criterion aimed at excluding communities in Greece, mainly the Albanian community. Obtaining Greek citizenship is another issue. There is a law that was passed during the Syriza government, and we hoped that the second generation, children who were born here or came at a young age, able would be to start the process, but it is progressing slowly. Some have the opportunity to vote because they have been issued a card, but we want to expedite this process and find a solution for parents whose children are unable to vote due to not having Greek citizenship. I have spoken with parents, and they are desperate because they are excluded from voting."
When asked if she is aware of the exact number of voters from the Albanian community, replied, she "It is difficult to determine the exact number of voters from the Albanian community," but she expressed that this community has positively received her candidacy to represent them in parliament.
Among other things, she also spoke about her party's political ideology and detailed plans for a successful Greek economy.