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Special report
George Soros's Open Society Foundations have worked in Albania since 1992. Edi Rama is a friend of Alex Soros. Sali Berisha says Soros controls Rama, the justice reform and SPAK. Rama rejects this. This page sets out the money that is documented, the meetings that are documented, and every claim of control, with what the documents actually show. A claim is not a finding.
OSFA begins work in Albania
OSF's own fact sheets say the Open Society Foundation for Albania began its work in 1992, after the fall of the communist regime. Another source gives 1994; OSF materials do not support that date. The exact registration date was not found.
Source: Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017
Open Society Foundation Albania begins work (reported as 1992)
Open Society's Albanian foundation is widely reported to have been founded in 1992 to support democratisation. The exact founding date was not confirmed. Berisha was president from 1992. He has said he welcomed Soros's first visit to Albania in 1992 because NGOs were important in other former communist countries. Whether his government supported or obstructed OSFA between 1992 and 1997 was not found in the sources read.
Source: Daily Signal · 9 May 2025
George Soros visits Tirana (Roma integration programme); meets Berisha and Rama; honorary citizenship given
Reported in Balkanweb (2016) that Soros visited Tirana in 2005. Other reporting says that during the visit he met Sali Berisha (then Prime Minister) and Edi Rama (then Tirana Mayor), and that the Tirana municipality gave him the title 'Honorary Citizen of Tirana' (the date of the title is not stated; Shqiptarja, 2025, says Rama gave it while mayor). The visit was described as concerning a Roma integration programme. The exact date of the honorary title and the meeting details are not confirmed by a primary source.
Source: Balkanweb · 6 Feb 2016
Soros visits Tirana; Rama was mayor
Tirana Times reports that George Soros visited Albania in 2005 about a programme for the social and economic integration of the Roma community. He met Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Tirana mayor Edi Rama, and received the title 'Honorary Citizen of Tirana'. The exact day and the municipal decision were not confirmed in official records.
Source: Tirana Times · 2005
Soros visits Albania (Roma programme); meets Berisha and Rama
Soros visited Albania in 2005 about a Roma integration programme. He met then-Prime Minister Berisha and then-Tirana mayor Edi Rama. The exact date was not confirmed. Shqiptarja is cited in a search summary for a January 2008 Davos meeting in which the government called Soros a friend of Albania; that source was not retrieved and is not relied on here.
Source: Tirana Times · Feb 2016
Ministry of European Integration memorandum with four NGOs including Open Society Soros Foundation
Tirana Times reports a memorandum signed by the Ministry of European Integration (minister Arenca Trashani) with four NGOs, including 'Open Society Soros Foundation', to monitor EU integration and publish findings. The article is undated except for 'Feb. 26' and a 'years ago' label; the year is inferred. This predates the Rama government's time in office and is not evidence of a Rama-era contract.
Source: Tirana Times · Feb 2007
George Soros visits Tirana; expected meetings with Rama and Basha; reported working dinner with Rama
A Tirana Times article dated 4 December (year not stated; inferred 2014 from the page's 'years ago' label and the officeholders named) says Soros was expected to meet Rama on Thursday and Basha on Friday. It also says he would attend an event at the Tirana Times bookstore and meet the staff of his Tirana foundation. A 2016 Balkanweb piece says he dined with Rama in 2014. The Basha meeting is not confirmed.
Source: Tirana Times · Dec 2014
OSFA earmarks USD 600,000 for justice reform
OSF's fact sheets say the foundation earmarked USD 600,000 in 2015 to support the justice reform process: a panel of experts, public outreach, a website and conferences. The 2017 English sheet says 20 experts; the 2021 Albanian sheet says 60 experts. The month of the earmark is not stated.
Source: Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017
Berisha calls Soros a 'great threat'; Fleckenstein responds with 'Soros fairytales'
Berisha said Soros was a 'great threat to Albania's democracy', said he had corrupted several Albanian institutions, and urged the European Parliament to investigate. He also called Rama a 'Soros puppet'. Fleckenstein, the European Parliament rapporteur, told Berisha to stop the 'Soros fairytales'. The exact day is inferred from the article's dateline ('Feb. 23'); the year is inferred from the page's '10 years ago' label. Confirm the date from the original page.
Source: Tirana Times · 23 Feb 2016
USAID Justice for All project launched (USD 9 million)
Top Channel reports a May 2016 event presenting a USD 9 million USAID justice reform project. EWMI's project page gives the programme as 2016-2021 and names EWMI as the implementer.
Source: Top Channel · May 2016
Parliament approves the constitutional justice reform with 140 votes in favour
All 140 MPs present voted for the constitutional amendments (Top Channel, reporting on the 21 July session, dated 22 July). Xhafaj chaired the commission; Rama gave the closing speech; EU and US ambassadors and Basha were present. The text was dated 22 July 2016 in the official law (Law 76/2016, as cited in search results). The article does not say who initiated the reform.
Source: Top Channel · 22 Jul 2016
exit.al publishes claims from leaked DC Leaks files about OSFA strategy
exit.al published an article based on DC Leaks files, claiming the justice reform was initiated and designed by OSFA, which drafted a strategy in summer 2013. The article links to a 2014-2017 OSFA strategy plan on Scribd. The document was not verified.
Source: exit.al · 22 Aug 2016
exit.al reports a 2013 OSFA strategy paper for the constitutional reform (DC Leaks)
exit.al says a 2013 OSFA strategy (for 2014-2017) set out steps for the constitutional reform, which the article says the reform followed 'in almost perfect manner'. The document was published in a DC Leaks batch; the article links an unverified copy. The article's causal claims are its own reading of the paper and rest on no funding records or communications.
Source: exit.al · 22 Aug 2016
Andi Dobrushi defends OSFA's role in justice reform
In an interview with Balkanweb, Andi Dobrushi said OSFA staff were proud to be part of the justice reform, that the foundation financially supported cooperation with the US embassy and European partners, and that its support was agreed with the Albanian Parliament. He described the foundation's support for legal representation of victims of the 21 January events and for the Gërdec victims' families as 'modest assistance'.
Source: Balkanweb · 25 Jan 2017
OSFA's Andi Dobrushi defends the foundation's role in the justice reform
Dobrushi says OSFA is proud to have taken part in the justice reform, that its support was agreed with Parliament, that the reform has 96% public support, and that critics had not seen the foundation's work. He cites OSFA support for families of the Gërdec blast victims for eight years. He does not name his accusers and gives no funding totals in the reported text.
Source: Balkanweb · 25 Jan 2017
Goran Buldioski rebuts senators' claims on Open Society in Albania
Goran Buldioski (OSI Europe) replied to a letter from six US senators about Open Society in Albania. He wrote that OSFA has never accepted or administered USAID funding, that Albania's multiparty commission wrote the judicial reform strategy, and that OSFA funded the commission and its technical team.
Source: exit.al · 29 Mar 2017
Judicial Watch claims USAID money went to Soros-linked Albanian campaign
Judicial Watch, a US watchdog, published a FOIA-based claim that USAID gave about USD 9 million (Fox News reported USD 8.8 million) in 2016 to a 'Justice for All' campaign run by EWMI, which it linked to Soros. The US agencies disputed the characterisation, and USAID said it made no grants to OSFA.
Source: Fox News (reporting Judicial Watch) · Apr 2018
Faktoje fact-checking service launches with USAID JfA technical support
EWMI's project page says the Faktoje fact-checking service launched in May 2018 with full technical support from the USAID-funded Justice for All project. It is a technical support relationship, not a stated grant.
Source: EWMI · 2016
Alex Soros visits southern Albania; photographed with Rama (Vlorë)
Shqiptarja reports Alex Soros's Instagram post of 29 July 2018 with a photo of himself and Rama, captioned in Albanian 'Aleksandër Soros dhe Edi Rama', and says Rama spent that weekend in Vlorë. Soros wrote that it was 'fantastic to be in Albania again and spend a little time with Prime Minister Edi Rama'; he described Rama as the most visionary person and said they discussed Albania's European integration and regional cooperation. The meeting date itself is not given.
Source: Shqiptarja · 29 Jul 2018
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly elects Darian Pavli as Albania's ECtHR judge
PACE elected Pavli for a nine-year term as Albania's judge at the European Court of Human Rights; he has served since 7 January 2019 (Wikipedia; PACE and ECtHR pages listed in search results). Albanian media in 2018 raised questions about the nomination and about vetting. Exact election date not confirmed here (the PACE news page was not read).
Source: Council of Europe PACE · 2018
Artur Metani elected High Justice Inspector
Parliament elected Artur Metani High Justice Inspector in January 2020, after he became State Attorney in 2018. The opposition Democratic Party objected. OSF employment was not confirmed for him. Pavli's OSF roles (ECLJ) are a separate claim.
Source: exit.al · Jan 2020
US State Department designates Berisha under Section 7031(c)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a public designation of Berisha and family members for significant corruption. The announcement did not mention Soros or NGOs. Berisha denied the claims. He later said the designation was retaliation linked to Soros.
Source: European Western Balkans · 19 May 2021
Alex Soros Instagram post with Rama: 'with my friend Edi Rama last weekend in Tirana'
Albanian Daily News (3 September 2021) reports an Instagram post by Alex Soros, identified as Vice President of OSF, with a photo of himself and Rama and the caption 'With my friend Edi Rama last weekend in Tirana, who continues to show inspiring leadership skills in the country, around the region and around the world.' The article gives no exact event date and no reply from Rama. Fox News (16 April 2025) dates a similar 'good friend' selfie to July 2021; the date discrepancy is not resolved.
Source: Albanian Daily News · 3 Sep 2021
US official Gabriel Escobar rejects claim that Soros sponsored Berisha's persona non grata designation
In an interview with journalist Sokol Balla in Tirana, Escobar called the claim 'absolutely wrong' and 'dangerous'. He said the US designations were not meant as a political tool, and that evidence could be shared with Albanian justice. He gave no Soros-related figures.
Source: exit.al · 13 Dec 2021
UK bans Berisha from entry (organised crime and corruption grounds)
UK envoy Sir Stuart Peach announced sanctions; Berisha said he was among those named, and published the letter. He called the decision a result of 'corrupt lobbying of Edi Rama and billionaire George Soros'. The UK did not publicly name Soros or Rama.
Source: Exit News · 22 Jul 2022
Working dinner in Tirana between Rama and Alex Soros, announced by Rama
Shqiptarja (21 May 2023) reports Rama's post, saying he had a 'working dinner' in Tirana 'with my dear friend Alex Soros', where they discussed Albania, the region, and encouraging students further towards digital technology. The article says the dinner took place 'late last night', so the evening of 20 May 2023 is the likely date. The article does not add a description from Soros.
Source: Shqiptarja · 21 May 2023
Berisha names BIRN Albania among Soros-financed media
In July 2023 Sali Berisha named George Soros, his political opponents and Soros-financed media, explicitly BIRN Albania and BalkanInsight, as sources of his claims. Press-freedom groups criticised this as a threat to media independence. The incident is recorded by SafeJournalists.
Source: SafeJournalists · 17 Jul 2023
SPAK charges Berisha over Partizani land case
SPAK disclosed Berisha's involvement in the Partizani complex case and charged him, with his son-in-law Jamarber Malltezi, with passive corruption in connection with the privatisation of land for the Partizani sports complex in Tirana. Only the month is known (ABC News Albania, Oct 2023); the day field is a placeholder set to the 1st. Berisha called the charges lies and politically motivated.
Source: ABC News Albania · Oct 2023
Berisha loses appeal against UK entry ban
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission upheld the UK decision. Reported by JURIST and Deccan Herald in June 2024. Only the month is known; the day field is a placeholder set to the 1st.
Source: JURIST · Jun 2024
Vetting commission reports 268 judges and prosecutors dismissed
The Independent Qualification Commission (KPK) completed vetting of judges and prosecutors and announced that 268 had been dismissed from office. It had issued 805 decisions, 373 of them confirmations. This is the most recent consolidated figure found. It is not linked to Soros in any source; it is included as context for the justice reform that Berisha says was Soros-shaped.
Source: Albanian Institute / AMAN (news summary) · 24 Nov 2024
Democratic Party signs about 6 million dollar US lobbying deal with Continental Strategy
O'Dwyer's reported the representation agreement was signed on 4 April 2025. The aim was to reverse Berisha's 2021 designation and build relations with executive and legislative officials. The party said a foundation pays the cost; Berisha said the party did not pay 'a single penny'. The contract is reported to have been filed under FARA.
Source: O'Dwyer's PR · 30 Apr 2025
SPAK opens verifications into Democratic Party lobbying contract (before the May 2025 election)
SPAK said it had started verifications on the lobbying contract of the Democratic Party. Only the approximate date is known (reports say shortly before the 11 May 2025 election); the day field is a placeholder. Outcome not found.
Source: Faktoje · 2025
Opinion piece says Rama attended Alex Soros's wedding and gave a speech
Ardit Rada's opinion piece (18 June 2025) says Rama and his wife would take part in the wedding of Alex Soros and that Rama 'went' and gave a speech in Alex's honour, posing for the couple's photo album. No source is given. The article's wider argument is about US-Albania relations. The attendance is not confirmed by the sources reviewed.
Source: Shqiptarja · 18 Jun 2025
Democratic Party asks Tirana council to remove George Soros's honorary citizenship
The Democratic Party asked the Tirana municipal council to meet urgently and remove the 'Honorary Citizen of Tirana' title given to Soros by Rama while mayor. The reasons were that Trump had called Soros an 'enemy of democracy' and that the US administration had asked for a RICO investigation of Soros and his son. The article reports no council session or vote. The RICO claim is not verified here.
Source: Shqiptarja · 30 Aug 2025
State Department confirms waivers for some 7031(c) designations, including Berisha's
The State Department confirmed waivers for certain 7031(c) designations from the previous administration on 11 June 2026. Its statement to Euronews Albania said waivers had been granted for individuals affected. It did not say the designation was formally rescinded. The Daily Signal framed the change as dropping sanctions on an opponent of Soros; Berisha suggested Soros played a role. The Open Society Foundations did not respond on whether George or Alex Soros played a role.
Source: European Western Balkans · 12 Jun 2026
Reported dinner of Rama and Alex Soros at the government residence in Dhërmi
Balkanweb (11 August 2026) reports that Rama hosted Alex Soros at the government residence in Dhërmi, 'reportedly during the holidays', and published photos that a Facebook page called 'Lolita' had posted. The article relies on unnamed reports, names no other attendees, and includes no statements from either man. The exact date and authenticity of the photos are not confirmed.
Source: Balkanweb · 11 Aug 2026
Breitbart reports Reporter.al is grant-funded by Soros foundation
A Breitbart article says Reporter.al is run by BIRN's Albania office and is grant-funded by the Soros foundation. Breitbart is partisan; no grant record was found to confirm this. The article also says the foundation rejected claims linking its Albanian work to US government money, which it called 'manifestly false'.
Source: Breitbart · 17 Aug 2026
Each claim is the speaker's own. Below it is what the documents found show.
Sali Berisha
Berisha called Soros a 'great threat to Albania's democracy' and, according to a search summary, said he would ban the Open Society Foundation from Albania (December speech, date not confirmed).
What the documents show: No ban on OSFA was found in any official record reviewed. The date of the ban statement was not confirmed; Tirana Times page dates are unreliable. Berisha's July 2023 naming of BIRN Albania is recorded by SafeJournalists.
Source: Tirana Times · unknown
Ilir Meta
Former President Ilir Meta reportedly accused George Soros of trying to capture the Albanian state (as reported by ECLJ, no source given).
What the documents show: No primary statement by Meta was retrieved. The claim comes second-hand from an advocacy source.
Source: ECLJ · unknown
Sali Berisha
The Open Society foundation in Albania prepared a secret 2013 document foreseeing constitutional, justice and electoral reform that would consolidate Rama's 'narco-state'.
What the documents show: The document was not shown in the sources read. The only source is Berisha's statement. Shqiptarja's headline calls the claim a 'fantasy' and notes that Berisha once praised Soros.
Source: Shqiptarja · UNDATED
Enkelejd Alibeaj
Rama is calling Berisha for allies against SPAK; Alibeaj says 'They have divided the attack trenches' (Rama and Berisha coordinate attacks on SPAK).
What the documents show: The sources read do not show a PS-PD pact or mutual protection (see, which says no source found states such a pact). Alibeaj's claim is political opinion. Both leaders have also attacked SPAK, and SPAK has charged figures from both parties.
Source: A2 CNN · UNDATED
Balkanweb (unsigned report)
Rama hosted Alex Soros at the government residence in Dhërmi, reportedly during the holidays; photos published by a Facebook page called 'Lolita'.
What the documents show: The article relies on unnamed reports and does not confirm the meeting or the photos. No statement from either participant is given.
Source: Balkanweb · 11 Aug 2026
Klevis Balliu
The Democratic Party asks the Tirana council to remove George Soros's 'Honorary Citizen of Tirana' title, saying Trump has called Soros an 'enemy of democracy', that the US administration asked for RICO investigations of Soros and his son, and that Soros is head of a criminal structure.
What the documents show: The demand was made. No council session or vote was reported. The US RICO request and 'criminal structure' description are not verified in this research.
Source: Shqiptarja · 30 Aug 2025
Agim Nesho
Rama's Socialists were backed by 'rich left-wing donors like Alex Soros, Rama's close friend', plus USAID and Open Society judicial reform; 'Soros allies profit from keeping Rama in power'; Rama runs a 'narco-state' that controls elections; the last three elections were unfair.
What the documents show: The documented facts are the close personal contacts between Alex Soros and Rama (posts and reported dinners). No record in the sources reviewed shows that Alex Soros or any Soros entity funded Rama's party or campaigns. The 'narco-state' and election claims cite no evidence.
Source: Fox News · 16 Apr 2025
Sali Berisha
US sanctions against Berisha were 'entirely based on corrupted lobbying' by George Soros and Edi Rama (as reported by Fox News). Berisha also said the Biden administration turned the US Embassy in Tirana into a prosecutorial office (no specifics).
What the documents show: The US official Gabriel Escobar denied in 2021 that Soros sponsored the designation and called the claim 'absolutely wrong' (exit.al). No lobbying records were shown. The State Department's stated reasons were corruption and undermining democracy.
Source: Fox News · 16 Apr 2025
Edi Rama
It is 'not normal to think' that the justice reform in Albania was carried out by billionaire George Soros. Rama mocked Berisha for 'catching the owl' (reported by A2 News; the article could not be fetched, so the wording is from a search summary).
What the documents show: Consistent with the documented facts that the reform was passed by Parliament (140 votes) with the Venice Commission involved and that OSFA publicly took part; the degree of OSF drafting remains unresolved.
Source: A2 News · 1 Mar 2025
Edi Rama
'It is not normal to believe that the justice reform was carried out by billionaire George Soros.'
What the documents show: No document was found showing Soros drafted or directed the justice reform. This rebuttal is consistent with the lack of evidence found. The reform's design history was not checked in this run.
Source: A2 CNN · UNDATED
Fatos Lubonja
The Soros foundation's presence was justified as promoting civil society, but in practice it 'invested in a political class', naming Edi Rama among the politicians it was linked to. He contrasted a past Rama remark on civil society with Alex Soros's praise of Rama as 'visionary'.
What the documents show: The public praise between Alex Soros and Rama is documented (2018, 2021). No funding flow to Rama or his party is documented in the sources reviewed.
Source: Balkanweb · 27 Feb 2025
Chris LaCivita
As quoted by Berisha's camp and reported by Fox News (April 2025), LaCivita said Edi Rama is effectively a puppet of George Soros, and that Berisha's prosecution was political.
What the documents show: No evidence is cited for the claim. The claim is reported second-hand through Berisha's camp; LaCivita's own published words were not located. The claim is a political characterisation, and a Yahoo commentary notes that it repeats a trope common in some right-wing movements.
Source: Fox News · 16 Apr 2025
Sali Berisha
SPAK is 'an absolutely criminal organisation', acts as a shield for the government, and his party would dissolve it if returned to power. He also read a letter accusing SPAK leadership of carrying out a policy shaped by Soros and Rama.
What the documents show: SPAK charged a sitting Socialist mayor, Erion Veliaj, and charged Berisha in October 2023 (OFFICIALLY_REPORTED). These cases do not support the claim that SPAK only shields the government. Commentators, including the Shqiptarja piece 'those who say SPAK is commanded by Soros are bluffing', argue the Veliaj case is evidence against Soros control.
Source: Telegrafi · 2025
Sali Berisha
Chris LaCivita 'said he came to Albania to continue Trump's work'. Berisha also said Rama paid against him in the New York Times.
What the documents show: Press coverage in 2025 (Boston Globe) reported that LaCivita and Paul Manafort were among former Trump aides working for Berisha's party. The sources read do not include a New York Times article supporting the Rama payment claim, and the quote attributed to LaCivita was not checked directly.
Source: A2 CNN · 2025
Sali Berisha
The 6 million dollar lobbying contract 'has nothing to do with the elections, the DP has not given a single penny'; the contract was published in the FARA registry; the cost is paid by a foundation.
What the documents show: Reports (Mother Jones, Intellinews, Gazeta Tema) say the contract was with Continental Strategy and was described as paid by the Make Albania Great Again Foundation. The FARA filing was not checked. SPAK opened verifications into the contract (Faktoje). The claim that the party paid nothing is therefore neither confirmed nor refuted.
Source: A2 CNN · 2025
Besart Xhaferri
The Berisha lobbying contract was made with a lobbying company belonging to Donald Trump's personal lawyer; the cost was 250,000 dollars.
What the documents show: Reports identify Continental Strategy and its founder Carlos Trujillo, a former Trump ambassador to the OAS (Mother Jones). No source read says Continental is owned by Trump's personal lawyer. Giuliani's FARA history found in searches relates to earlier Ukraine-related work and concerns other matters; no source found links him to the Albanian contract. The 250,000 dollar figure matches 6 million over 24 months (about 250,000 a month), so the two figures may describe the same contract on different bases. This is a reading of the numbers, not a source statement.
Source: A2 CNN · 2025
Carlos Trujillo
The firm 'is supporting Berisha through their legal and lobby teams, all of which is being fully disclosed in accordance with the law.' (Continental spokesperson)
What the documents show: The FARA filing was not checked in this run, so the claim that everything is fully disclosed cannot be tested here. Mother Jones reports that Continental also has a separate law firm, Continental PLLC, that does legal work for Berisha.
Source: Mother Jones · 2025
Sali Berisha
Berisha called OSF a 'real national threat' in a December speech and pledged to ban the group (as reported by Fox News, April 2025). He has also promised to close the Soros foundation in Albania and to bar Alex Soros from entering the country (headline reported by Telegrafi; date not confirmed).
What the documents show: These are political statements of intent. No legal act closing OSFA or barring Alex Soros was found in the sources reviewed.
Source: Fox News · 16 Apr 2025
Edi Rama
After a 'working dinner in Tirana with my dear friend Alex Soros' they discussed Albania, the region and encouraging students further towards digital technology.
What the documents show: Rama's post is the only source for the content; the dinner is consistent with other reported contacts. No funding or policy link is shown.
Source: Shqiptarja · 21 May 2023
Grégor Puppinck (ECLJ)
OSF invested over USD 131 million in Albania from 1992 to 2020, 'supporting Mr. Rama's rise to power and then his government'; OSF also helped allocate USD 60 million in USAID justice funds (2000-2015).
What the documents show: No source is named for either figure. The article notes Rama and Soros call each other 'brothers' and meet, which does not show financial support. No funding-to-government link is documented in the sources reviewed.
Source: European Centre for Law and Justice · 2023
ECLJ, citing Ilir Meta
Former President Ilir Meta alleged that Soros was trying to capture the Albanian state (cited in ECLJ article, no document named). Separately, a 2016 interview claimed Soros planned against the LSI party (reported in Balkanweb, 2016).
What the documents show: No document is shown in either report.
Source: European Centre for Law and Justice · 2023
Sali Berisha
The UK ban was 'slander and corrupt lobbying of Edi Rama and billionaire George Soros'; 'No one was quoted except me. It was only about corruption.'
What the documents show: The UK grounds, as Berisha reported them, cited organised crime links and corruption. They did not mention Soros or Rama. The UK ban was upheld on appeal in June 2024 (JURIST). The appeal ruling is the court finding; no court finding supports the Soros-Rama sponsorship claim.
Source: Exit News · 22 Jul 2022
Gabriel Escobar
The claim that Soros sponsored the US decision to declare Sali Berisha persona non grata is 'absolutely wrong' and 'dangerous'; the designations are institutional anti-corruption measures, not a political tool.
What the documents show: The article gives no documents. The official's denial is the only source in this research.
Source: exit.al · 13 Dec 2021
Alexander (Alex) Soros
'With my friend Edi Rama last weekend in Tirana, who continues to show inspiring leadership skills in the country, around the region and around the world' (Instagram post, as quoted by Albanian Daily News).
What the documents show: The post's existence is reported by one outlet; the post itself was not reviewed. It shows a personal friendship and praise, not any policy influence.
Source: Albanian Daily News · 3 Sep 2021
Sali Berisha
The 2016 reform was 'the brainchild of the Open Society Foundation', which 'initiated, promoted and' (text cut off) financed the reform; the result is a judiciary 'under the total control of the executive' (IFIMES paper, author Berisha).
What the documents show: The visible text of the paper cites no documents. The 2016 vote and OSFA's public role are documented. Whether OSF designed the text is not established.
Source: IFIMES · Jul 2021
Sali Berisha
The 2021 US designation was retaliation for his criticism of Soros; the NGOs the State Department relied on are part of Soros's network.
What the documents show: The State Department announcement (19 May 2021) cited corruption as prime minister and did not mention Soros or NGOs. A State Department official said on background that Blinken had 'credible information'. Rep. Lee Zeldin criticised the conduct as 'unacceptable and suspicious' (political statement). No evidence was found for the Soros-retaliation theory.
Source: Washington Free Beacon · 2021
Albanian press (2020, unsigned)
Albanian press reported that Darian Pavli is related to Edi Rama (sources differ: cousin, or cousin of Rama's wife), and questioned his nomination to the ECtHR, including vetting questions (reported on Wikipedia, citing boldnews.al and exit.al).
What the documents show: The ECtHR election by PACE is documented. The family relation is not established in the sources reviewed. The vetting question is reported by exit.al (2018) but not checked here.
Source: Wikipedia · 2026
New Greek TV (unsigned)
US taxpayer money (via USAID) reached Soros, who used it to fund left-wing political activity in Albania and to give the Socialist government control of the judiciary; USAID gave USD 9 million in 2016 to the 'Justice for All' campaign supervised by Soros's East West Management Institute; the Obama administration funded these activities. The article says Rama and Soros had a 'close relationship' without detail.
What the documents show: The article cites a Judicial Watch study said to be based on DOJ records (32 pages). The documents are not reproduced, and the claims were not verified in this research. USAID's own records were not checked.
Source: New Greek TV · 9 Nov 2018
Alexander (Alex) Soros
Alex Soros wrote that it was 'fantastic to be in Albania again and spend a little time with Prime Minister Edi Rama'; he called Rama the most visionary person and said they discussed Albania's EU integration and regional cooperation.
What the documents show: The Instagram screenshot embedded in the Shqiptarja article shows the post. The meeting itself is not documented beyond the post.
Source: Shqiptarja · 29 Jul 2018
Goran Buldioski
OSFA did not write the Strategic Document for Albanian Judicial Reform; Albania's multiparty parliamentary commission did. OSFA funded the commission and its technical team but had no input into the document. OSFA has never accepted or administered USAID funding.
What the documents show: The 2016 exit.al article (based on DC Leaks files) says OSFA drafted a strategy in 2013 and funded a 2014 expert assessment. That document is not verified. The USAID denial is consistent with EWMI's project page, which names EWMI as implementer and does not mention OSFA, but it does not prove a negative.
Source: exit.al · 29 Mar 2017
Andi Dobrushi
OSFA was 'proud to have been involved at the forefront of civil society, as participants in the justice reform'; the reform is supported by 96% of the population; the accusations are a 'political tactic' and 'we are not the enemy, nor do we deal with conspiracy theories'.
What the documents show: The parliamentary vote (140 votes in favour, 21 July 2016) is consistent with broad support. OSFA's fact sheets are the main documentary source for its role but could not be read here.
Source: Balkanweb · 25 Jan 2017
Andi Dobrushi
OSF Albania has been the main funder of the entire reform process (as quoted by ECLJ). In a 2017 Balkanweb interview he said the foundation financially supported cooperation with the US embassy and European partners.
What the documents show: OSF's own 2017 fact sheet shows a USD 600,000 justice reform earmark in 2015 and USD 2.2 million total 2016 project funding across all programmes. The fact sheet does not show the total OSF spending on the reform. The 'main funder' phrase is not checked against a total.
Source: Balkanweb · 25 Jan 2017
Exit.al (unsigned article)
The 2016 constitutional reform was 'conceived, planned and carried out' by the Soros foundation, following a 2013 OSFA strategy that the reform implemented 'in almost perfect manner' (exit.al, unsigned article).
What the documents show: The article describes a 2013 OSFA strategy paper for 2014-2017 that is public in leaked form. It does not show funding records, communications or a link between the paper and the final text of the reform. The leaked document's authenticity was not verified.
Source: exit.al · 22 Aug 2016
Altin Goxhaj
'Today, for example, the whole Justice Reform is all "bought" with Soros money' (Goxhaj, interview reprinted from Standart). He also said the foundation is not an NGO that invests in democracy and called Soros 'an international speculator'. He cited an alleged remark by Fatmir Xhafaj with no date beyond 'end of December'.
What the documents show: The reform passed with 140 votes in favour on 21 July 2016 (Top Channel). The reform's funding by Soros is not documented in the sources reviewed. The Xhafaj remark is not shown.
Source: Balkanweb · 6 Feb 2016
Kastriot Myftaraj
Soros's Albanian work mainly served to build the political careers of Rama and Erion Veliaj; he said BIRN Albania is largely financed by Soros; he also said Soros chose Veliaj to succeed Rama as Socialist leader. The same interview contained personal hostile remarks that are not recorded here.
What the documents show: No document in the sources reviewed shows Soros choosing a PS leader or funding a political career. The Veliaj succession claim has no documentary support found.
Source: Balkanweb · 6 Feb 2016
Sali Berisha
Soros is a 'great threat to Albania's democracy'; Soros corrupted several Albanian institutions; the European Parliament should investigate; his claims rest on 'authentic documents'.
What the documents show: The 'authentic documents' were not shown in the sources read. Fleckenstein responded that Berisha should stop repeating the 'Soros fairytales' and said Berisha 'is not weak'. Open Society did sponsor a survey on Albania, which is a documented fact. Whether that survey supports the claim that Soros corrupted institutions was not established.
Source: Tirana Times · Feb 2016
Sali Berisha
Edi Rama, the Socialist prime minister, is a 'Soros puppet'.
What the documents show: The article gives no evidence for this claim. No document was found showing Soros controls or directs Rama's government.
Source: Tirana Times · Feb 2016
Sali Berisha
'Midis Sorosit dhe Edit, cherchez la femme' ('Between Soros and Edi, look for the woman'): Berisha said Rama had strong ties to Soros running through a woman, and said he had documents and that the details were 'another story'. He also said Soros was a speculator backing communist cliques and read a message he attributed to a Transparency International official.
What the documents show: The woman is not named. The documents Berisha said he had were not shown. The message he read was presented as his claim; its authenticity was not checked.
Source: Shqiptarja · 28 Jan 2016
Sali Berisha
'In 1992, when George Soros came for the first time in Albania... I welcomed him.' He said NGOs were playing an important role in other former communist countries, so he welcomed them.
What the documents show: No contemporaneous 1992 record was found in the sources read. The statement is Berisha's own later account. Other summaries say he initially welcomed Soros's investment and only later opposed the foundation.
Source: Daily Signal · 9 May 2025