European politics is usually remembered for dry statements, harsh diplomatic gestures, and strict protocol rules. But sometimes there are scenes that add a little color to the political agenda and, let's admit, bring a little smile.
The unusual attention and gesture shown by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama towards his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni is precisely one of those moments.
It is not common for one prime minister to kneel before another prime minister for any reason. We only see such a scene in the example of the Edi Rama - Giorgia Meloni duet, and it is not convincing that other officials will repeat it...
"Kneeling romance" in politics?
Edi Rama has expressed his admiration for Giorgia Meloni jokingly (or perhaps semi-seriously) by kneeling before her for the umpteenth time. This scene is considered a rare event in diplomatic etiquette. Usually, when heads of state meet, they shake hands, and at most, lightly hug. But Edi Rama seems to be putting on a "political theater."
At the European Union Political Summit held in Yerevan on May 4, he again did not miss the opportunity to "bow" when he saw Giorgia Meloni, hugged the prime minister tightly, and even kissed her hair. For outsiders, this scene resembled a romantic comedy: one overly emotional, the other somewhat reserved and cautious.
At the previous Tirana summit, Edi Rama had also made such a playful gesture towards Meloni. In general, Edi Rama is often known for his unusual and humorous behavior, and this gesture is considered part of that style.
Interestingly, Meloni's reaction is always somewhat measured. She neither openly encourages these gestures nor harshly rejects them. The Italian prime minister simply "manages" the situation with a diplomatic smile.
This sincere behavior, which goes beyond diplomatic protocols, always causes cheerful moments among summit participants.
Some experts say that Edi Rama's action stems from the historical and cultural ties between Albania and Italy.
Who is Edi Rama?
Edi Rama is not an ordinary politician. Before entering politics, he was an artist, and then also served as a minister. His height, appearance, and colorful dressing style distinguish Edi Rama from the classic "suited politician" image.
Edi Rama was born in 1964, he is 62 years old. He was previously a professional basketball player, standing 1.98 m tall. He is also a professional artist, a professor at the Albanian Academy of Arts, and has held several solo painting exhibitions.
Albania's 33rd prime minister is also an active writer. His books, consisting of various notes, titled "Reflections," "Sacrifice," and "Edi Rama," have been published.
Edi Rama served as the mayor of the country's capital, Tirana, for several years.
In general, before being elected prime minister, Edi Rama held a number of positions. In 1998, Edi Rama was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports in the government formed by socialist leader Fatos Nano. His creative and effective approaches to the development of art and culture in the country were particularly well received by young people. This played an important role in his election as mayor of the capital Tirana in 2000. He was elected to this position as an independent candidate, garnering 57% of the votes. Edi Rama was re-elected mayor in 2003 (with 59% of the votes) and in 2007 (with 56% of the votes), remaining in office until 2011.
During his tenure as mayor, he contributed to changing the appearance of the capital. Illegal constructions were demolished, streets were improved, parks were established, and building facades were painted. For this activity, he was awarded the title of "World Mayor" in 2004.
In the autumn of 2003, Edi Rama joined the Socialist Party of Albania (SPA). In October 2005, he was elected party chairman. He is still the chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania.
In 2013, the center-left coalition of parties led by E. Rama defeated the right-wing Democratic Party of Albania and won the parliamentary elections. He has been serving as the Prime Minister of Albania from September 15, 2013, to the present day.
E. Rama has many priorities, including fighting crime and corruption, eliminating unemployment, and integration into the European Union.
Edi Rama's personal life is also interesting. His father, Kristak Rama, was a famous sculptor, and his mother, Aneta Rama, was a medical worker.
Edi Rama started drawing at an early age. He first graduated from the Jordan Misja Art High School in Tirana. As a teenager, Rama played as a professional basketball player for the capital's "Dinamo" team. At the same time, he played for the Albanian national basketball team (1984-1989).
Edi Rama graduated from the Tirana Academy of Arts in 1985. For a while, he taught at the same academy and also served as a visiting professor at Massachusetts, Boston, and Harvard universities in the USA. In 1994, he moved to France, where he studied architecture and engaged in painting. His works have been exhibited in many international exhibitions.
E. Rama returned to Albania in 1998.
He was baptized as a Catholic and identifies himself as a Catholic. As for his current religious beliefs, Rama calls himself an agnostic, saying, "I accept no belief other than myself and other people, and I don't even think about the existence or non-existence of God."
Edi Rama has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Matilda Makoci, and they have two children from this marriage - a daughter Ri and a son Gregor. The prime minister has one son, Zaho, from his second marriage (to Delina Fico).
Edi Rama is currently in his third marriage. The prime minister's wife, Linda Rama, is an economist. They are known as an intellectual and quite balanced couple. In this regard, Edi Rama's "showy attention" towards Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shows more of his playful and theatrical side of his character than his personal feelings.
One of Rama's main characteristics is precisely this: he likes to soften the boundaries in politics a bit, to add an informal touch to the official environment. Sometimes this evokes sympathy, sometimes criticism.
In addition to his native Albanian, Edi Rama knows English and French.
Meloni: cool-headed or charming?
Giorgia Meloni, on the other hand, is a completely different type. She has become one of the prominent figures in European and world politics in recent years. C. Meloni is the leader of the right-wing nationalist party "Brothers of Italy" in her country. The party she led won the elections held in 2022, formed a coalition government, and Giorgia Meloni made history by becoming Italy's first female prime minister. Ms. Meloni is known for her firm stance in politics and strong speeches.
She was born in Rome in 1977. In politics, she represents the center-right political line. Difficulties in her family and her father leaving them deeply affected Giorgia's life. Her father, Francesco Meloni, left the family when Giorgia was only 1 year old. Her father abandoning them left a deep mark on C. Meloni's character and worldview. Her mother raised her and her older sister Arianna (born in 1975) alone. Despite these difficulties, Giorgia developed into a strong, independent personality.
In an interview with a foreign media outlet, C. Meloni stated that she never received positive emotions from her father, Francesco Meloni:
"When my father died, I felt nothing. This angers me because I would have at least wanted to hate him," the prime minister noted.
C. Meloni said that precisely because her father left them in a difficult situation, she experienced financial problems and could not continue university. To earn money, she worked as a babysitter, bartender, waitress, and market salesperson.
Giorgia's mother, Anna Paratore, went through very difficult days after her husband left her when their daughters were small. Raising her children alone, Anna Paratore wrote romance novels under the pseudonyms "Josie Bell" and "Amanda King." She has 140 romance novels written under the pseudonym "Josie Bell" alone. But since her literary income was not enough, she had to work several jobs to make ends meet.
After graduating from high school, Giorgia Meloni received a secondary specialized education in linguistics at the "Amerigo Vespucci College" in Rome in 1996. After receiving her diploma, she worked in journalism for a while.
Meloni later enrolled in Sapienza University of Rome but could not finish it. According to some reports, she dropped out of higher education due to joining politics. In other words, a political career was her priority.
Giorgia Meloni's personal life, though not as much as her political career, is rich in interesting details that attract public attention. She is a mother of one daughter.
Ms. Meloni is not officially married at present, but she was in a long-term relationship with journalist Andrea Giambruno. Their daughter, Ginevra, was born in 2016. Andrea Giambruno worked as a presenter and journalist for the "Mediaset" TV channel. Although there were some differences in political views with Meloni at one time, their relationship lasted for a long time.
Giorgia Meloni announced the end of her relationship with Andrea Giambruno on social media in October 2023. She wrote that it was "one of the most difficult decisions" of her personal life. The reason for their separation was Andrea's sexist comments about other women.
Giorgia Meloni became interested in politics in her early youth and played an active role in right-wing youth organizations in Italy in the 1990s. In 2006, at the age of 29, she was elected to parliament and became known as one of the youngest deputies in Italian history.
When Silvio Berlusconi was elected Prime Minister of Italy for the third time (2008-2011), he appointed Giorgia Meloni as Minister of Youth and Sports. At 31, Meloni also became Italy's youngest minister.
C. Meloni founded the "Brothers of Italy" party in 2012. This party was previously little known, but with Meloni's charismatic leadership and strong anti-immigration, national values-emphasizing rhetoric, the party quickly gained popularity.
Meloni is known for her image as an energetic leader with strong oratorical skills and emotional speeches. One of her most famous slogans is "God, Homeland, Family."
Although Giorgia Meloni presents herself as a serious political figure, she is actually interested in pop culture. She loves fantasy literature.
In addition to Italian, Giorgia Meloni also knows English well. Besides, she speaks French and Spanish. She can communicate freely without a language barrier at international events and meetings with foreign leaders. This helps her conduct more flexible diplomatic activities at the European level.
Simplicity and accessibility stand out in the prime minister's style and clothing.
C. Meloni is very attached to Italian cuisine. She considers the preservation of Italy's food traditions as part of its national identity.
Opinions about Meloni are divided. Some see her as a charming, charismatic, and strong female leader. Others consider her more of a tough, emotionless, and classic political figure.
Political gesture, or desire to stay in the spotlight?
In political circles, the different approaches to Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni create an interesting contrast: on one side, the emotional and artistic Rama, and on the other, the disciplined and pragmatic Meloni.
Edi Rama's behavior towards Giorgia Meloni - his kneeling, hugging, and kissing the Italian prime minister - is interpreted in various ways. Some consider it simply a joke, a friendly gesture. Others believe that it is a deliberate "PR" move to attract attention.
The approach of the foreign press to this event shows that the attitude towards the incident in political circles is not unambiguous: some do not consider it appropriate for diplomatic etiquette, while others positively evaluate the prominence of the "human factor" in politics.
But the Albanian press writes that Edi Rama knows what he is doing. He does not want to be remembered as a classic politician. His goal is to stand out, and he succeeds quite well in this.
Edi Rama's unusual behavior with Giorgia Meloni shows that politics is not just about harsh statements. Sometimes a gesture, a smile, or even a little "overly emotional behavior" can change the agenda. Just as every meeting of the two prime ministers does, attracting attention and making headlines.
This interesting interaction between Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni seems to remind us:
leaders are also human, it's just that their gestures attract a little more attention.
Now perhaps the most interesting question is: will Edi Rama kneel again at the next meeting, or will Giorgia Meloni anticipate him this time and not allow him to do so?
Afgan Gafarli
