As the situation stagnates, Albania’s EU prospects halt, and political mismanagement affect governance and the economy, non-political Albanians could hold key to solution.
TIRANA TIMES
As absurd as it sounds, one and a half months after the local elections of May 8, we still don’t have an official winner in the race for Tirana mayor. But even when the result comes, it is unlikely to offer a full solution to the political deadlock, which has gone on for two years, and appears to have no end in sight.
As the situation stagnates, Albania’s EU prospects halt, and political mismanagement starts to affect governance and the economy נeverybody and everything is on trial until a solution is found.
First, the elections themselves are on trial. This fundamental block of any democratic society has been battered so much over the past 20 years, that faith in Albania’s ability to properly manage elections has ebbed. And if elections are on trial, then democracy itself is on trial.
Then there are Prime Minister Sali Berisha and opposition leader Edi Rama. They are on trial too. As much as they would like to point fingers at each other, saying, “it’s all his fault,” the fact is they could both have done more so that the current crisis could have either been avoided or been over by now.
Mr. Berisha could have stopped the political power grab on independent institutions that has led to lack of faith among the public about elections and governance in Albania. Mr. Rama could have stopped his radical approach to politics acting as if Albania is a dictatorship or some sort of former Soviet or Arab republic – it is not.
In fact, the entire part of Albania’s immature political class that is not speaking out for more dialogue and more civility is on trial. The very politics of all or nothing are on trial until we get past the deadlock.
The question is “Who is the jury?” It’s the silent non-political majority that doesn’t show up willingly for political rallies or is in the payroll of any of the parties – directly or indirectly. It’s the tour operator in southern Albania who is going bankrupt this summer because tourism is down. It’s the business owner that wants to do honest work without having to bribe whatever party official that is in power, it’s the public administration worker who is “encouraged” to attend political rallies so he or she can keep the job, it’s the jobless straight-A student lacking any connection to powerful elite.
Albanians who actually do vote are clearly divided, supporting either one side or another. In the absence of alternatives, for the rest, unfortunately time will be the solution.
It might not seem so having gone through two years of deadlock but this situation can’t last forever, nor is it in the interest of the key players to keep this up much longer, because the instability and deadlock is deeply unpopular with the majority of Albanians, and the political leaders know it.
Though pressure from the European Union helps, in the end, the only major shift that would give Albania a stable solution to the political deadlock is pressure from non-political Albanians to change the political class without becoming part of its shenanigans.
