Jared Kushner can’t conquer the Balkans
by Lily Lynch · Australian Financial ReviewLily Lynch
Sep 22, 2026 – 5.00am
At the 1878 Congress of Berlin, the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck famously said that Albania was nothing more than “a geographical expression”. To counter this sentiment, Albanian leaders established the League of Prizren to advance Albanian interests and self-determination. But the major powers were dismissive, and Albanian land was soon partitioned between neighbouring Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro.
A century later, the former communist dictator Enver Hoxha conjured the moment with characteristic venom in his 1982 memoir, The Anglo-American Threat to Albania. ”The Anglo-American imperialists, those savage and determined enemies of the Albanian people, have always used our country as a means of exchange in their international transactions,” he wrote. The “Anglo-Americans” were known to transform even their own fields “into golf courses for the lords”, so what would they do to the natural riches of Albania?
Loading...
New Statesman
Save
Log in or Subscribe to save article
Share
Copy link
Copied
Copy link
Copied
Share via...
Gift this article
Subscribe to gift this article
Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.
Already a subscriber? Login
Read More
Latest In Arts & Culture
Fetching latest articles