 |
| The head of the Greek opposition party SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, and representatives of the Albanian community in Greece |
Stefanos Kasselakis, the leader of the Greek opposition party SYRIZA, met with representatives of the Albanian community in Greece, introducing the idea of integrating the Albanian language into the Greek education system for the first time.
Considering the official relations between Athens and Tirana, Kasselakis emphasized the need for advancements in the ties between the two countries, suggesting that the selection of a second foreign language by students in Greek schools, such as Albanian, could be a step forward.
"Here in Greece, we do not have Albanian as a chosen language," said Kasselakis, embracing the idea of Albanian as a second language.
However, the Greek opposition leader conditioned this proposal, stating that a similar method should be followed by Albania.
"Just as Albania should have Greek as the chosen language throughout its territory," he added.
Despite acknowledging this proposal, Kasselakis highlighted significant challenges faced by the Albanian community in Greece, contributing to increased insecurity among its members in recent years.
Kasselakis also criticized the recent third-country immigration law passed by Prime Minister Mitsotakis's New Democracy party, stating that it is not feasible to talk about renewing 3-year work permits when the specific application process takes 2.5 years for approval.
"These people we live with in the same country are put in a difficult situation," emphasized Kasselakis.
Furthermore, SYRIZA's Deputy Chief of Migration Policy, George Psychogios, reminded that it was Prime Minister Tsipras's government in 2015 that granted citizenship to second-generation immigrants (mostly Albanians born in Greece) and introduced other legal interventions related to access to insurance funds.
Meanwhile, SYRIZA's Head of the Migration Policies Department, Nina Kasimati, added, "We have historical ties with the Albanian community. Strengthening these ties between our two peoples can make us stronger and more influential in the region and beyond in Europe."