This video with the participation of Italian tourists caused a storm. Prime Minister Meloni intervened
A group of Italians spent their holidays in Albania. A video has been posted online showing them leaving one of the restaurants without paying the bill. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni instructed the local embassy to settle the debt.
They made headlines because they didn’t pay for dinner. A group of tourists escaped from a restaurant in the Albanian city of Berat, and a video appeared on social media. It shows the Italians leaving the premises. Their behavior prompted Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to raise the issue with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni during her visit to the country.
The Italians fled the restaurant without paying. The bill was settled by Prime Minister Meloni
The daily La Stampa writes that the head of the Italian government ordered the ambassador to Albania to “pay for these idiots”. “Italy must not lose respect abroad in this way“ she added. The Italian embassy in Albania confirmed in a statement that it had settled the bill, amounting to around 80 euros, on behalf of its citizens. “Italians abide by the rules and pay their debts. We hope that such episodes will not happen again,” it said.
As reported, the account was settled “from Meloni’s personal funds through the embassy, whose role was limited to the physical payment”. Italy’s agriculture minister and Meloni’s brother-in-law, Francesco Lollobrigida, told Reuters news agency that it was a matter of pride to pay the bill. “A few dishonest individuals cannot put a nation of decent people to shame,” he declared.
The behavior of the Italians went viral. What did tourists do in Albania?
The BBC points out that it is not clear when the incident happened, but a surveillance video showing the group leaving the restaurant went viral on social media. The owner of the restaurant told Albania Report TV that for the first time customers left his premises without paying. He admitted that a group of Italians even praised the food.
