Editorial: The Albania we (really) want?
Story Highlights
- The “Albania we want” traveled thirty years back in time, holding elections almost identical to those under communism, when 99,99 percent of the votes were immediately given to the party candidate. Actually, truth be told, these elections were even more impeccable, with Socialist candidates in 12 electoral districts, among which the capital and the second biggest city were included, making indestructible wins by 110 to 130 percent, all by citizens happy with the “Albania we want.”
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TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
The Socialist Party’s now famous slogan “for the Albania we want” seemed initially abstract and almost impossible to read by the majority of the party’s militants, be those officials heading central structures or local governance branches alike; virtually everyone but the ‘great Leader’ had trouble comprehending it. Calling the winning party’s central figure ‘the great guy’ or the ‘great leader’ comes from Albania’s years under dictatorship, but is naturally not an Albanian invention. Many oppressed countries and people, statesled by pseudo-democratic regimes, autocracies to dictatorships, be those party-based or personal, as Albania’s case has been time and time again, revolve around the same concept of the “great leader.”
This time around, when Albania’s “big guy” first introduced “the Albania we want” slogan, not a few of his supporters also outside of the Socialist party, but also those who criticized the previous government, were reserved to judge, believing in positive change despite the abstract slogan. Nonetheless, during the last four to five years, the “Albania we want” became more and more concrete – “the Albania we want” became concrete and clear.
“The healthcare” we want,” or the ideal free healthcare. Germany, of course, does not actually offer ‘free’ healthcare, but in Albania as we want it this miracle has easily happened. “The jobs we want” has also been achieved – it can be mainly found in Germany, together with all the students coming from the “education we want.” In Albania as we want it, according to the great leader’s vision and project, the public administration was one of the biggest achievements: during the last five years, the administration we want paid in compensations almost 110 million euros for all those it had unrightfully dismissed. Indeed, “the Albania we want” was no longer abstract, but it doubtfully resembled anyone’s vision.
The same “Albania we want” could not have been complete without the Sunday elections. Actually, after Sunday’s elections, one can surely say we’ve reached the finish line regarding the “Albania we want.”
The “Albania we want” travelled thirty years back in time, holding elections almost identical to those under communism, when 99,99 percent of the votes were immediately given to the party candidate. Actually, truth be told, these elections were even more impeccable, with Socialist candidates in 12 electoral districts, among which the capital and the second biggest city were included, making indestructible wins by 110 to 130 percent, all by citizens happy with the “Albania we want.”
We are now this close to fully achieving the “Albania we want.” Very few things remain to be done – among the most important, the President’s dismissal. This is the last frontier to be crossed, the last castle to be overtaken and the last-standing independent power to be neutralized.
This is better depicted in one of Albania’s own communist movies, when one of the leadership’s most liberal minds reminds his colleagues that the elimination of political opponents is against their own approved rulebook. His colleagues’ reply is immediate: “our own rules will not stop us from fighting class enemies.”
Is this really the Albania we want?
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