From Vancouver to Vladivostok -the perilous direction of the Albanian democracy slide

In one of the heaviest sessions of the Albanian parliament, the past meddled into the present with all its heavy baggage of polarization, aggressive name-calling and utilization of history. Three decades after the fall of the communist regime, various MPs and the Prime Minister shouted across the hall of the Albanian parliament to each other “communist!” and “ballist!” (Member of the National Front, the opposition right wing force to the communists during WWII).  The subject of the matter were the constitutional changes heralded at the very last moment from the majority, after the inclusive agreement was reached on June 5…