TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Albanian prime minister Edi Rama defended the decision to financially support a concert by controversial US rapper Kanye West.
In a public Facebook post on Wednesday, Rama sought to address public anger over the event by arguing that a €4 million ($4.56 million) investment in the concert was good for the country.
"We allocated €4 million at the last minute to avoid embarrassing Albania in the eyes of nearly 25,000 foreign visitors from 80 countries who had already purchased tickets to see Kanye West, while many others were wary that the concert might be cancelled," Rama said on Facebook.
Albania is the latest country to allow the rapper to perform, after several others declined. The concert is scheduled for July 11 and will take place just outside the capital Tirana, in a makeshift stadium custom-built for the event.
Why are countries banning Kanye West?
Albania's decision to invest in the Kanye West concert comes as several European countries have banned his performances.
The rapper, who is more recently known as YE, has been shut out due to his incendiary past comments, which have included antisemitic remarks, praise of Adolf Hitler and content featuring Nazi imagery.
Kanye has distanced himself from his previous actions, saying they were related to his bipolar disorder.
He issued an apology for posting the antisemitic content on social media last year, saying he regretted any pain that his words had caused and asked for forgiveness.
Rama says Kanye will bring revenue
Nevertheless, countries like France, the UK, Australia and Poland, banned his performance or did not allow him to enter the country.
But since last year, he has been able to perform in countries like Slovakia, the Netherlands and Georgia.
Prime Minister Rama defended the event, arguing that it would generate at least €100 million in revenue for the country, which he tied to a surge in accommodation bookings around the time of the concert.
Rama has already been under fire for over plans for a luxury resort by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The strong opposition to the project has drawn daily protests in Tirana against the Kushners and perceived corruption within the Albanian government.
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