The debate over the €4 million used for Kanye West’s concert has taken another political turn. This time, the criticism does not come from the opposition, but from former Socialist Party MP Marjana Koçeku, who described this spending priority as wrong at a time when the country faces a high risk of fires.
Koçeku’s reaction against the spending
In a reaction on social media, Koçeku said the €4 million fund should have been directed toward fire prevention, support for affected residents, and strengthening emergency response capacities.
She linked this position to the heavy damage that, according to her, fires caused last year and to expectations of an even more problematic summer because of high temperatures.
Remembering last year’s fires
In her reaction, the former MP recalls that a year ago the country went through what she described as a fire catastrophe, with serious consequences for nature.
Koçeku says she saw the damage up close and argues that public funds should have gone toward preventive measures and response on the ground, not to an event she described as a “single-use stadium.”
A political message from within the left
The fact that the criticism is being voiced by a former representative of the Socialist Party gives the debate a different weight, as it calls into question not only the specific spending, but also the way priorities are set when it comes to public money.
At its core, her reaction raises questions about the balance between spectacle and the basic needs of emergency management, an issue that has generated public debate before as well.
What she said in her reaction
In the published post, Koçeku wrote that “the €4 million for a single-use stadium should have been invested in fire prevention, in supporting residents and in strengthening emergency capacities.”
She closed her reaction with a direct political message: “The state and accountability cannot be replaced by spectacle. The loss of nature is the loss of Albania.”
So far, the source material does not mention an official response to this criticism.
The debate over the use of the €4 million is expected to remain open, especially as issues of emergencies and the management of public funds regularly return to the center of attention.