TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
Tirana, Nov. 29 – Immediately after Albania’s declaration of independence, the country faced massive challenges – its very survival was at stake. A century later, after throwing one of the biggest parties in its history to celebrate that independence, the challenges might be of a different nature, but they remain great.
Albanians showed great national pride over the past year, everywhere they lived, showing off the national colors. As the celebrations end, it’s time to focus on what’s important for Albania and meet those challenges: fully develop the country, establish and follow the rule of law, work hard to build the economy and invest in proper health and education systems.
These goals require a lot of work and cooperation and looking beyond Albania’s divisive politics. They require transforming the patriotism Albanians showed during the celebrations into hard work and determination for a cultural shift.
Political leaders will often give speeches and will try to claim that all successes are due to them and all failures due to their opponents. They will often make it harder and tougher for the country to move forward if it means that moving the country forward challenges their power and interests.
As such one must encourage the small acts and everyday work of common Albanians to move Albania closer to the European Union. The change must start from the bottom up, as opposed to the other way around.
A couple of small news stories this week went largely unnoticed in the middle of celebrations. At the southern tip of the country in Xarre Commune, farmers celebrated a healthy crop of mandarins that was entirely sold in Albania and Kosovo, providing a small fortune for the local community, which had employed hundreds of people from other sides of Albania. Many of the farmers had returned from Greece to work at home in Albania, toiling the soil for four years to reach this day.
Another, news item was the increasing trends of Albanians refusing to pay bribes and reporting direct and indirect requests by police or health officials to pay small bribes. It’s type of corruption that erodes the very core of society, and it must be fought before society can change.
The farmer in Xarre who worked hard all year and the young man at Eagle Square who refused to pay the traffic bribe are what Albania needs to meet its challenges. Albanians like these are the ones moving the country forward, and it is them we must support.
The day after celebrations ended, it is to people like these that we owe thanks far more than to those who simply placed flags on windows or changed their Facebook profile photo to the Albanian flag. True patriotic spirit is shown in actions that support a better future for Albania.
With celebrations over, it is time to channel all that patriotic fervor to start working for a better future.
