What did teach us the Beer Festival in Korça?

22 Gusht 2021, 14:42, English CNA

The biggest event of its kind in Albania, the Beer Festival in Korça, this time on its 15th anniversary, gave us many details, many proofs, and taught us many things. First, the Beer Festival showed us that there are still ?hot heads? with political divisions, who see music as a matter of nationalism and revenge.

This showed that this time the controversy was driven specifically and in a structured political way. It was politically driven by the Vetëvendosje Movement in Kosovo that reacted first.

After them, reacted some fan groups, while there was a reaction from ?hot heads? and from characters who stand out in vain on social networks, and to gain attention intervene in

any debate.

So this event taught us that nationalist ?hot heads? exist in Albania. They don?t accept that art can be the one that will unite us, and that Albania?s path is towards Europe, and obviously towards cooperation with neighboring countries.

However, in the end these ?hot heads? remain a minority. The theories of the Vetëvendosje Movement and Albin Kurti failed, as the Serbs held a concert in Kosovo as well. Secondly, it was no longer called ?Korça Beer Festival?, but ?Beer Festival in Korça?.

So, the businessman Irfan Hysenbelliu and his media didn?t personalize the biggest beer event, a magical national holiday, as he was scared by the reactions of fan groups and citizens who called for a boycott of Korça Beer. This, as it would be a sponsor for the celebration of the internationally renowned Serbian singer Goran Bregovic.

In fact, the sponsor was the Municipality of Korça. So, there is no Korça Beer Festival, but a Beer Festival in Korça. Third, the Beer Festival taught us that the clown-politics also commits such acts, as happened with the Democratic Party in Korça, which made a statement against the Beer Festival, against Bregovic, a statement with a political load that went so far as to demand the resignation of Deputy Mayor of Korça.

The person who had given the statement to the media, went alone to Korça, invited some DP leaders and took them to the Beer Festival. But he was careful not to do this at the Passenger Terminal, where the event took place, but at the bar of Irfan Hysenbelliu, at the house of Birra Korça.

In this holiday there were characters like Ervin Salianji, who first make such statements against the holiday, and then go and celebrate in it. Fourthly, when there are interests, the parties come together.

This happened in the Beer Festival, when Taulant Balla, General Secretary of the SP, appeared side by side with Salianji of the DP.

Meanwhile, this event, taught us that Erion Braçe can speak even against such magical events. He said that after 10 days we will have consequences from Covid-19. People have run out of patience from Braçe, Covid and probably wanted to be liberated and celebrate, as a difficult autumn awaits them because from Covid.

This event showed also that beyond the path of division, there can be a positive union of energies, and citizens giving a lesson in democracy. Korça showed this with its hospitality and reaction. To this day, which is also the closing night, which marked an extraordinary success.

Because a Beer Festival launched simply in the locality turned it into not only a national event, but a regional one, precisely because of the large influx of tourists coming from Greece, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo.

These were some points that the Beer Festival taught us, beyond the fact that in Albania there are very good beers, there are excellent culinary services, there are also traditions, respect and culture, as only the citizens of Korça know how to offer./CNA.al