December 22nd is a date with deep symbolism for the Hellenism of Northern Epirus. It is the day when the historical memory of 1940 meets the modern diplomatic reality, recalling the unbreakable ties of Himara with Greece.
A historical coincidence and the promise kept
The choice of the day for Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit to Himara in 2022, the first by a sitting Greek Prime Minister, turned out to be a peculiar twist of fate. The visit was scheduled to take place earlier in the same month, however, the adverse weather conditions and the dense fog in the mountains did not allow the helicopter to fly safely from Tirana.
This postponement led to the visit to December 22, coincidently but emblematically with the anniversary of the liberation Of himara from Greek Army in 1940, during the Greco-Italian War.
"Greece, Greece, cover us too"
The reception in Himara was overwhelming. The streets were flooded with blue and white flags and the crowd erupted in cheers.One moment, however, remained indelibly etched in everyone's memory: the slogan "Greece, Greece, cover us too" that vibrated the atmosphere. It was a cry that expressed the decades of oppression, but also the deep thirst of the people of Himariots for the warmth and protection of the motherland.
On the podium, the Prime Minister was welcomed and prefaced with a warm speech by the then President of "Omonia" Himara, Frentis Beleris, who spoke of a historic day for Hellenism, in the presence of Pyrrhus DimasThe Olympic Gold Medalist, the "Lion of Chimara", returned to his roots as a member of the official delegation, causing shivers of emotion among his fellow countrymen.
Addressing the residents, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated characteristically:
"I feel very honored to be the first Greek Prime Minister to visit Himara. I want to say a big thank you to you, for keeping the flame of Hellenism and Orthodoxy in your hearts unextinguished during very difficult years, and I am referring especially to the elders among you."
The tour of minority municipalities
After his moving presence in Himara and the visit to the Greek-speaking school "Omiros", the Prime Minister continued his tour of the Greek National Minority. The next stops were the minority municipalities of Phoenician and her Dropolis (Livadia and Dervitsani), where he received a similarly warm welcome. There, he reiterated that Greece will always be a "steadfast supporter" of the just demands of the Greek diaspora, linking Albania's European perspective with full respect for their rights.
The shadow of subsequent events and the beleris Case
Despite the climate of hope fostered by that historic day, the future held new challenges. A few months later, relations between Greece and Albania would be severely tested after the provocative arrest of Fredis Beleris, just two days before the May 2023 municipal elections.
The man who had prefaced the Prime Minister in Himara won the battle of the ballot box while in pretrial detention. However, the Albanian government's tactics followed to prevent him from being sworn in and his eventual conviction in a trial-parody, which marked his final dismissal from the office of mayor of Himara.
December 22nd will remind us of the sacrifices of the past, the historic visit of 2022, but also the ongoing challenges that Hellenism faces on the other side of the border.
Λόγια τού αέρα οι δηλώσεις τού Κούλη, ο οποίος τώρα, αδιαφορώντας παντελώς για το τι υφίσταται η ελληνική μειονότης τής Β. Ηπείρου, προωθεί την ένταξή τής Αλβανίας στην ΕΕ, έχει άριστες σχέσεις με τον Ράμα, τον οποίον αφήνει να αλωνίζει όποτε τού καπνίσει την Ελλάδα και τού διοργανώνει και εκθέσεις ζωγραφικής στην Αθήνα, για να επιδεικνύει το … ταλέντο του!