Prime Minister Edi Rama publicly admitted that the Albanian state spent 4 million euros on the concert of American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, refuting previous statements by Finance Minister Petrit Malaj, who had guaranteed in Parliament that the state's financial commitment was "zero".
During the inspection of the temporary stadium where the concert is expected to take place on July 11, Rama explained that the 4 million euro fund was used to guarantee the realization of the activity and the necessary infrastructure to welcome tens of thousands of visitors from abroad.
"This is an event organized entirely by a private group. Albanian, German, Turkish partners who have taken over this entire colossal enterprise. The Albanian state was forced to intervene only yesterday to provide, not tens of millions of euros as the crows and ravens of the boulevard say, but 4 million so that we can guarantee that those thousands of people who have bought tickets from Europe, from America, from Australia, 80 countries, will be able to attend," declared Rama, describing this expense as an economic investment for tourism and not as a cost.
The Prime Minister's statement constitutes a significant change from the official position held just two months ago in the Parliament. On May 7, during the debate on the normative act on fuel excise, Freedom Party MP Erisa Xhixho raised doubts that the state would finance the construction of the temporary stadium for the Kanye West concert and asked the Minister of Finance whether 50 million euros had been allocated for this purpose.
Minister Petrit Malaj categorically denied any financial commitment from the state. "Where did you hear this figure? The entire budget of the Ministry of Culture is 70 million euros. It's fake news... It's zero," he declared from the Parliament podium.
According to the Prime Minister, the financial intervention is justified by the economic impact that the event is expected to have. He argued that visitors from around 80 countries around the world will arrive in Tirana and that the economic effect will be comparable to that of the Conference League final, which according to him brought a significant increase in tourism from the Netherlands and Italy.
Ye's concert has meanwhile become a debate that goes beyond the financial cost. The opposition has opposed not only the use of public funds, but also the very figure of the artist that Albania has chosen to promote as an international tourist attraction.
Ye, a multiple Grammy Award winner and one of the most influential artists in hip-hop history, has been at the center of international controversy for years for his anti-Semitic statements and expressed sympathy for Nazism. He has publicly declared “I love Hitler” and “I am a Nazi,” released the song “Heil Hitler,” sold products with the swastika symbol, and made a series of offensive statements against Jews, causing strong reactions in the United States and Europe.
Because of these stances, many institutions and event organizers have distanced themselves from him. His involvement in the Wireless festival in London was met with public opposition, with a spokesman for the mayor of London stating that “his comments and actions are offensive and wrong and do not represent the values of London”. Representatives of the Jewish community called his presence “deeply irresponsible”, arguing that the artist “has consistently used his platform to spread anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi messages”.
Following his statements, the Shopify platform closed the Yeezy brand's online store for violating the platform's rules, while his talent agent publicly announced that he would no longer represent him "due to his harmful and hateful statements."
However, the Albanian government has chosen to support the organization of the concert, arguing that the economic benefit outweighs the costs and controversies that accompany the figure of the artist. The Ministry of Culture has considered the development of such events as part of the strategy for promoting tourism, while Rama has presented the financing of 4 million euros as an investment that is expected to return to income for the economy through foreign visitors./Lapsi.al
