Albania’s PM Defends €4 Million Kanye West Concert
Rama says the state-backed show will boost tourism and could generate up to €100 million in revenue, despite criticism over West’s antisemitic remarks.
- On Saturday, July 11, Albania will host a concert by U.S. rapper Kanye West outside Tirana, an event for which the Council of Ministers allocated €4 million to support organization and infrastructure costs.
- Critics, including the Albanian Jewish Community and opposition figures, denounced the funding, arguing that offering a public platform to West risks normalizing rhetoric associated with his history of antisemitic comments.
- Rigels Xhemollari of Civic Resistance criticized the decision, stating the funds could have supported summer camps for 15,000 children, while 3,500 workers race to complete the 65,000-square-meter improvised stadium.
- Defending the decision on Wednesday, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated the government acted to avoid embarrassing Albania in the eyes of nearly 25,000 foreign visitors from 80 countries who purchased tickets.
- The government hopes to establish a reputation for hosting large-scale events, with Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhja suggesting the project's impact will last 10 years to boost Tourist Albania.
35 Articles
35 Articles
After the scandal over a controversial hotel project by Trump, the Albanian Prime Minister comes to the Bredouille because of a concert by Kanye West. For his opponents, the performance fits into the picture.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is under fire for spending 4 million euros of government money on a concert by American rapper Kanye West....
Banned from entering or performing in several European countries for his anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi remarks, the American rapper is scheduled to perform in Tirana on July 11. Many protesters accuse the Albanian prime minister of using this event to serve his own interests.
The controversial musician is supposed to perform in Albania, and a special stadium is being built for his concert, for which the government is allocating four million euros.
Medtem ko so v več evropskih državah odpovedali oz. celo prepovedali concerte ameriškega raperja Kanyeja Westa, je v Albaniji poznače. Ne le, da glasbenika nestrpno pričakutejo, ampak so za to, da concert zagotovo bo, namenili štiri milijone evrov.
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