Ex-minister for Europe Denis MacShane, as the Daily Mail reports, wrote a sponsored praising article in Le Monde about Albanian Premier Rama, indicating him as the savior of Social Democracy in the Western Balkans.

His article was used by the Albanian PM in his usual posts in Facebook, where he wrote:

“Good morning and wishing you a good day with this article about Albania and the Balkans, published in the French newspaper Le Monde by Denis MacShane, Minister for European Affairs in the British government under Blair Blair 2002 – 2005”.

A few days ago, Rama on his Facebook page another article, this time from Euroreporter, written by Martin Banks.

Banks writes for the same media outlet part of which Denis MacShane is, Euroreporter, the article of which was posted by PM Rama.

Banks’ article praises the Albanian government for its reforms and successes in the fight against the organized crime as important steps toward integration in EU.

Banks also quotes Luke Coffey, director of the Center for the Foreign Policy in the Heritage Foundation, from an article published on Huffingtonpost.com.

He takes the last part of the article about Albania’s drug problem which is affecting the whole Europe, where Coffey writes Albania has made some positive steps by joining NATO on 2008 and being a candidate country to join EU.

But the core of Coffey’s article is the drugs and Albania’s becoming in a producing and trafficking country to Europe, whereas Banks has quoted only the last lines, taking away the essence of the article.

It indicates Edi Rama uses the international press articles and their authors to promote himself. An observation reveals both Denis MacShane and Martin Banks write for the same outlet, Euroreporter.

What is easily proved is the connection of Macshane, the article writer Rama uses in his posts, to Tony Blair.

Who is MacShane and his connection to Blair

MacShane is a former Labour MP from 1994 to 2012 and served as Minister of State for Europe from 2002 to 2005.

In November 2012, MacShane was suspended by the Labour Party after an enquiry of the British Parliament accused him of corruption and one year later he was sentenced to six months after pleading guilty to making bogus expense claims amounting to £12,900.

MacShane spent nearly seven weeks in the Belmarsh prison and explained he had made the expense claims to cover the expenses for his travels abroad in the role of ex-minister for Europe under Blair.

John Lyon, then Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, referred MacShane’s case to Scotland Yard.  The police investigated and in July, 2012, decided to drop the case. Three months later Lyon re-opened his investigation and as a result MacShane was suspended from Parliament for 12 months.

MacShane is very close to Blair. During his time in jail, he mentions many times Blair in his diary, Daily Mail writes.

January 17

“I was certain when in Belmarsh that mail was being withheld as an extra punishment for prisoners. Now I am getting my Christmas cards three weeks late. I get a Season’s Greetings card from Tony Blair and Cherie. ‘Thinking of you,’ writes Tony, and I know his hand so it’s for real. Bless”.

January 23

“Another stack of mail. A lovely one from Tony Blair:

Dear Denis,

I have been trying to track down how to contact you. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about the situation you find yourself in. You were always a good supporter of mine and a thoroughly sympathetic colleague, who contributed a huge amount to the Government. I can only imagine how ghastly this is. But please come and see me after you emerge and I will do whatever I can to help. You still have a lot to give and you should know you have a friend in me”.

Yours ever, Tony.

Tony Blair, Rama’s adviser

Former British Premier Tony Blair was Albanian PM Rama’s adviser during his first term, from 2013. Rama has always denied Blair would be paid for his service, despite his advices were really expensive, anywhere he gave them.

Meanwhile, Omnia Strategy, the company of Tony’s wife Cherie Blair, is thought to have received €645 thousand from Rama’s government from 2013, to solve the disputes with the company Rapiscan that made the scanning in the customs houses.

In May 2013, The Telegraph paid attention to the cooperation of Rama with Blair.

The Telegraph discovered that the agreement had been negotiated in February 2013, when ex-director of communications in Blair’s government, Alastair Campbell, visited Albania to promote his book.

According to the article, a Socialist Party spokesperson refused to say how much Blaier would be paid, but, according to The Telegraph, the payment was thought to be millions of British pounds.

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