PAKICA GREKE NË SHQIPËRINË PASKOMUNISTE (1990-1996)
The Greek Minority In The Post-Communist Albania

Summary/Abstract: Differently from the other Balkan countries, in which the democratic changes were accompanied by conflicts of an ethnic character, in Albania, this part of the population was considered as integral part of these changes. Representatives of the Greek minority as well the political parties coming out from the liberalizing processes expressed their readiness to become part of the same process as part of the same reality. In the year 1991 the Greek minority organized politically in a political organization with the denomination OMONIA and in 1992 part of it adhered to the Party of the Union for the Man’s Rights. In the period 1990-1996 the Greek minority was represented in different levels of the local and central governance. Despite the positive developments in the relations of the Albanian government with the Greek minority this period was accompanied, too, by some problems. They began to appear since the year 1993 and reached their culmination during the year 1994. The reasons of the disagreements in the relations of the Albanian state with the Greek minority were some. Firstly, they are connected with the political and economic situation undergoing Albania in that time. The economic and political crisis as well the rupture of the basic structures caused the mass emigration of the Greek minority. Even because this emigration has been interpreted in determined circles as an effort of the Albanian government for ethnic cleansing, the fact that the Greek minority has preserved strong and steady ties with the native land and the emigration for economic reasons was a spread phenomenon among all the Albanians refutes this pretension. Secondly, it is the reappearance of the nationalist historical tendencies supported by nationalist circles which pretended the solution, at last, of the question of “North Epirus”. The activity of these circles inside the Albanian political territory and outside it and the support they found by a part of the leaders of OMONIA created a climate of mistrust with the Albanian government. Thirdly, the state Albanian-Greek relations. The period 1990-1996 had problems in the relations between them. The Greek minority, as well the Albanian refugees were not the cause of these problems. Its reasons are the different stands of the two states towards the regional developments, the adheration of Albania to the Islamic Conference, the intensive connections with Turkey, the lack of an open distantness of the Greek government form the North-Epirus circles, etc. Anyhow, the Greek minority and the Albanian emigrants felt more than anyone the weight of this aggravation.

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