A frequent complaint of police forces, prosecutor’s office and majority politicians whenever organized crime is discussed is that politicizing matters will make solutions harder, will decrease the legitimacy of law enforcement in the eyes of the public and erode trust in the reforms. Most of these complaints remain valid. Using scandals, investigations, police operations and generally crime statistics for the sole purpose of putting on a show and instigate a reaction from militant audiences is indeed harmful.
When one goes beyond political rhetoric and into examining political actions: trying to influence criminal justice procedures for personal protection and/or political gains is one of the key factors that for so many years has rendered the justice system into the most corrupt, reviled and ugly corporation in Albania.
However there is an unquestionable political dimension that needs to be addressed in the fight against organized crime which in Albania is closely related to the worrying situation about narcotics trafficking.
It is this dimension that was key to this week’s event of presenting, with quite some fanfare, a new police operation, entitled “The strength of the Law” and a Special Police Task force against organized crime. This task force shall be assisted by FBI agents as well as Western prestigious law enforcement agencies representatives from Germany, Italy and the UK. The event was used by the international community to once again decry the links between politics and crime and lament the toll that it is taking on the citizens live and wellbeing. Some concrete names that ring the ears of the Albanian public were mentioned once again: former mayors and MPs with very dark pasts and ties to some of the most influential crime syndicates. Some of them constitute epic failures of the justice system as well: having set them free unjustly. All of them are examples of failures of the political system to guard itself and a failure of the capacity to self-cleanse.
It is this same system however that international actors turn to whenever they need assurances of stability and continuity. The slightest popular perception, even if not legitimate, that the international community is taking sides is very harmful in this key fight. Furthermore, what is necessary is a larger and harder debate that includes the meaningful and welcome jabs about “eating the big fish” but goes beyond them in really promoting and detailing the mechanisms that will constitute the “catching nets” . This starts with the clear warning to Albanian society itself that it needs to step up its own commitment to this fight. If the criminals of the Albanian bands did not stretch their heavy hands into the streets of London, Hamburg, Antwerp or Genoa one wonders if all the experts from abroad would be here. And hopefully the situation will improve enough for them to be able to leave.
Severing the ties between politics and organized crime is one of the most difficult things for every state. Albania can learn a lot from its neighboring Italy, for its long and still ongoing fight against mafia: the sacrifices all social actors need to make, the clear cut breaks with the past, the legitimate rules that are needed to build a different future, the courage necessary to persevere. Albania might be in the first steps and the assistance of the international community is a must at this stage. However the fight is here and it needs to start with acknowledging with all strength by the local actors the political dimension of the problem rather than accommodating it.
Albanian political class needs to build a solid resistance to the temptation offered by organized crime, through mainly eliminating the impunity that has existed so far, learning the lesson the hard way if necessary. The Albanian society needs a healthy internal immune system that is ready to fight recognizing the first signs of a virus takeover and punishing them at least electorally and even better openly in the realm of the public debate. The fight against organized crime needs solid technical capacities but it is definitely not the fixing of a technical glitch. It is a painful and departure from a pervasive and perverted political modus operandi.
