Meet Ramaduro: Europe’s progressive, Soros-trained autocrat and enemy of Trumpism

Europe's democratic hypocrisy exposed as Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, nicknamed 'Ramaduro' for his autocratic rule, secures a fourth term amid allegations of corruption

Amb. Agim Nesho is a renown Albanian author, diplomat and political figure. He presently serves as President of the Albanian council on Foreign Relations. You can follow him on Twitter: @AgimNesho

Rama rose from a representative of Open Society in Tirana to leading a country with one of Europe’s most brutal communist legacies. Critics describe him as a narcissist and an anarchist, a product of Soros’s post-communist influence in Eastern Europe. He consolidated power in Albaniawhile advancing the Soros-backed "Open Balkan" initiative. More recently, he’s taken on a new role: the socialist progressive who worked to undermine Trump-era initiatives in Europe.Known for his anti-Trump rhetoric—including his infamous statement on CNN and Foreign Policy calling Trump "the shame of our civilization"—Rama became a favorite among European elites and American Democrats. His political survival has depended on aligning with the anti-Trump order, even as his domestic leadership veers toward authoritarianism.

Today, as Europe grapples with a multipolar world and complex geopolitical challenges, it increasingly tolerates—if not embraces—leaders like Rama. Why? Because he professes allegiance to "European values," despite presiding over what critics call a narco-state built on organized crime and electoral manipulation.Rama represents a European version of the Chávez-Maduro model: a leftist autocrat cloaked in progressive language, wielding power with little regard for democratic norms. He embodies the stabilocracy plaguing the Balkans—regimes tolerated for the sake of regional calm, despite eroding the very values Europe claims to uphold.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent effort to block Chevron from renewing its contract in Maduro’s Venezuela is a bold example of principled leadership—denying legitimacy and resources to authoritarian regimes. America must apply that same clarity to the Balkans.