Just a year ago, Ermal Beqiri proudly posted a photo with French President Emmanuel Macron. In a post on LinkedIn, he described the meeting as “more than an honor,” and France as the country that had given him “structure, discipline, and a second home.”
At the time, Beqiri was presented as a successful entrepreneur, head of the Albanian Council for Technology and Innovation (ACTI), and a figure who promoted ties between Albania and France.
Today, the picture is completely different.
Beqiri is in custody in France and Albanian authorities have initiated procedures for his extradition, as he is wanted by SPAK as part of the investigations into the AKSHI file.
But his arrest has raised another question. According to information released so far, he was detained after allegedly flying a light aircraft over a French nuclear power plant, an incident that is treated with high sensitivity in France due to the importance of critical infrastructure.
So far, French authorities have not made public any espionage charges or confirmed any motives for the flight. However, the nature of the object it is suspected of flying over and the measures taken by authorities have fueled speculation that the investigation may have national security dimensions.
Whether this lead will be confirmed or not remains in the hands of French investigators.
The irony of history is that the man who just a year ago proudly published a photo with President Emmanuel Macron and spoke of France as his "second home", today awaits the decisions of the French judiciary, while Albania demands his return to face the charges raised by SPAK.
