Veteran Albanian journalist Armir Shkurti has raised sharp questions about mainstream media transparency in Albania after publishing a photograph showing Prime Minister Edi Rama seated at a table with Alexander Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations and son of billionaire George Soros, while the two were reportedly spending time in the coastal resort town of Dhërmi during August.
In a post shared on his official social media profile, Shkurti questioned what he described as a conspicuous lack of media coverage surrounding Soros’s extended summer stay along the Albanian Riviera.
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| Prime Minister Edi Rama photographed during an informal dinner in the coastal resort town of Dhërmi in August, seated with Alexander Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations. The image, published by veteran journalist Armir Shkurti, has reignited debate over mainstream media transparency in Albania, after Shkurti questioned why the week-long visit of the high-profile figure to the Albanian Riviera received limited coverage. Photo source: Armir Shkurti / Social Media. |
Shkurti’s comments come amid growing public scrutiny and ongoing debate among independent political analysts and commentators in Tirana. Critics and opposition voices have long alleged that the Open Society Foundations has significant political influence in Albania, including over actors associated with the country’s ruling establishment. Such claims remain politically contested.
The Soros network has maintained a presence in Albania and across Eastern Europe since the early post-communist transition of the 1990s, supporting various civil society, legal reform, and institutional initiatives across former Eastern Bloc countries.
Over the past decade, meetings and encounters involving Prime Minister Edi Rama and Alex Soros have been publicly documented in various locations. However, critics argue that the limited official communication or mainstream media coverage surrounding some of these encounters—including private or informal summer meetings in Dhërmi—has contributed to public skepticism about the independence and transparency of Albania’s media landscape.
The issue has gained additional attention as political demonstrations continue to draw citizens demanding greater institutional accountability. Shkurti’s observation has therefore resonated with opposition figures and other critics who are calling for greater transparency over political relationships and the individuals and organizations they believe may influence national policy.
The absence of extensive media coverage, however, does not by itself establish that a coordinated media blackout took place. The central question raised by Shkurti is instead why a high-profile visit and meeting involving the prime minister received comparatively limited attention from Albania’s mainstream media.