Ekrem Bardha

Ekrem Bardha is an Albanian American businessman, leader of the Albanian National Front in Michigan (Balli Kombëtar), co-founder of the National Albanian-American Council (NAAC), and former owner of Illyria Newspaper.[1] He is currently serving as Albania's Honorary Consul in Michigan and is regarded as one of the most successful Albanians in America.[2]

Early life

Ekrem Bardha was born in the village of Radanj in Kolonjë, Albania. Having escaped from Albania in 1953, after one of his brothers was jailed for political crimes, he settled in Detroit and went into the restaurant business. He eventually became the owner of 13 McDonald's fast-food franchises, which gross about $25 million a year.[3]

Political activity

Ekrem Bardha along with congressman William Broomfield and other have contributed to the saving of the arrested political activist in Montenegro Pjeter Ivezaj and was the reason for the change of policy of the U.S. in the relationship with Yugoslavia. Ekrem Bardha has met with 10 of the U.S. presidents for the Albanian cause. President Ronald Reagan assured him after a meeting that he will refuse the Greek ambitions in Albania at any cost. Bardha also met with President Bill Clinton before the bombing of Serbia by NATO and was assured that Kosovo will be freed from the Serbian oppression.

References

  1. ^ "Illyria – The true voice of the Albanians in America". http://www.illyriapress.com/about_us.php. Retrieved 5 June 2010. "Seven years later, Ekrem Bardha, another activist and businessman, became the owner of the newspaper." 
  2. ^ "Ekrem Bardha biznesmen në Amerikë" (in Albanian). BBC. 21 May 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/albanian/regionalnews/2008/05/080521_ekrem_bardha.shtml. Retrieved 5 June 2010. 
  3. ^ "Golden Arches to Rise in Tiranë". 29 September 1995. http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_article.cgi?articleID=614. Retrieved 5 July 2010. "Bardha, the owner of 13 McDonald's restaurants in the Detroit area, wants to see the Golden Arches tower over Tiranë as well."