Opposition Leader Criticizes Diaspora Summit as “Propaganda Exercise”

Ina Zhupa, Chairwoman of the Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Committee, has launched a scathing critique of the upcoming Diaspora Summit scheduled for April 13-15 in Tirana, describing it as a politically motivated event that deliberately sidelines parliamentary oversight.

Speaking in her capacity as the head of the parliamentary committee, Zhupa revealed that her committee has been completely excluded from the planning and organization of what should be a major national event for Albanians abroad.

“The parliamentary committee on the diaspora, which I head, has no information about this activity, nor has there been any invitation to it,” Zhupa stated, highlighting what she sees as a troubling lack of transparency and inclusiveness.

According to Zhupa, this exclusion is no accident but rather a calculated political move. “The role of the assembly has been completely avoided because that committee is led by the opposition,” she explained, suggesting the government is turning what should be a unifying national event into “a propaganda summit, an electoral summit” designed to serve narrow political interests.

The criticism comes at a sensitive time as Albania continues efforts to engage its substantial diaspora communities spread across Europe, North America, and beyond. The Albanian diaspora represents a significant economic force through remittances and potential investment, as well as a powerful political constituency.

Zhupa raised several specific concerns about the organization of the summit, questioning the selection process for participants, panel formations, financial costs, and general logistics. “There is no transparency about who the diaspora participants will be, how they were selected, how the panels were chosen, what the cost is, and how the organization is,” she noted.

In materials published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhupa pointed out that no parliamentary representatives from the diaspora committee—not even from the governing Socialist majority—appear to be participating in the panels.

The controversy touches on broader issues of democratic governance in Albania, with Zhupa suggesting that the handling of the Diaspora Summit reflects deeper problems in the country’s political culture. “Albania must rise to a level where common national issues are addressed beyond political differences. The diaspora should be one such issue,” she emphasized.

This dispute emerges against the backdrop of ongoing tensions over diaspora voting rights, a politically contentious issue in Albanian politics. “The government chooses, just as with the diaspora vote, to use all of its state mechanisms in its own electoral interest,” Zhupa claimed.

Concluding her critique, Zhupa stressed that adherence to democratic standards of “transparency, inclusiveness, and respect for the role of the Assembly” will determine whether Albania progresses on its path toward European integration or remains “a state where party and state are united and everything is used for politics.”

The government has not yet issued a formal response to these criticisms as preparations for the summit continue.