A NEW DEAL?

Albanians should be forgiven for being rather skeptic and taking with the proverbial pinch of salt the recent declarations by both government and opposition on their newfound will for cooperation for the good of the country. But there is indeed reason to believe that a change is in the air and that both sides are starting to show signs of a more responsible and conciliatory behavior. As readers of Tirana Times may remember just before Christmas there was the famous handshake between Prime Minister Berisha and Edi Rama and now there seem to be more concrete proposals for compromise and cooperation on reforms relating to Albania’s Euro ͠Atlantic integration and especially in the justice system.
As one might have suspected there is good reason for these tentative developments, namely the “carrot” of an invitation into NATO at the Summit of Bucharest. In other words it has finally dawned on our politicians that through their constant quarrelling and often unprincipled hostility to each other they were slowly but surely ruining any chances Albania had of joining NATO. Because even though in Bucharest Albania has probably the best chance ever of finally realizing its dream of joining NATO, these chances are not nearly as high as our government had us previously believe. And indeed if one combines the lack of progress in reforms in Albania, with the situation in the region because of the status of Kosovo and the issue of the name of FYROM, the picture is not as rosy as presented. Add to this the differing opinions within the Alliance itself and there is indeed reason to worry. (There are in fact rumors that for all the optimism expressed by the Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister no longer believes in that happening.)
Be that as it may, even if everyone in NATO was of the same mind, and even if the region was transformed overnight into a land of milk and honey, it is unlikely that in the short time that separates us from the Summit Albania will manage to do much by way of reforms. Indeed when it comes to this type of situations one can plausibly compare Albania to a failing pupil who suddenly finds the zeal to study hard one day before his exams; probably too late. And there are those who claim that the opposition is aware of this and is duly making this sort of propositions of cooperation precisely so that it can spare itself any blame for any eventual failure to receive an invitation.
Although all Albanians can only hope that their country does receive an invitation, were the contrary to happen this developments in domestic politics, were they to prove long-lasting and the beginning of a real tradition, would more than compensate for any disappointment in the Summit. Political fighting and lack of will to negotiate or compromise until the very last moment ͠if that ͠has already cost the ce country too much during its transition. Albania lags behind its neighbors in its integration process even though the circumstances these neighbors have had to face, such as prolonged and destructive wars, were often more radical than anything Albania has had to go through. Even the black year of 1997, which marked the lowest point of Albania’s transition was caused simply by political intransigence and stubborn refusal to compromise. In fact one can say that the dominance of short term, narrow party interests and the identification of the state with the ruling party have probably been the central factors that explain many of the problems and difficulties Albania is still grappling with. Seen in this light, if sincere the proposals to cooperate on the reforms, albeit limited to the justice system for the moment, would mark a far more positive development for the country than integration into NATO ever could. It only remains to be seen whether the hand of cooperation will be extended on other issues as well, or whether once the issue of the Summit has passed everyone will revert to the same irresponsible behavior that has held the country hostage for 17 years.