By HENRI ȉLI
European University of Tirana
The idea that there is a missing link in the structure of the right wing political spectrum in Albania because there is no real and organized alternative within the Right, apart from the Democratic Party and the government coalition – is neither new nor original. Neither is there anything new or original in the idea that a “holding depot” or “stop bank” is needed to soak up any possible haemorraghe of votes of disenchanted right wing supporters. The structuring of the Freedom Pole and, in particular, the fact that it is headed by former prime minister Aleksand철Meksi, marks an about-turn in the lay-out of the Albanian Right, at least all the signs point in that direction. The commitment made by Aleksand철Meksi the first democrat Albanian prime minister in its transition from communism, compliments this alternative and most importantly the Freedom Pole Coalition structures the right wing allowing it to advance on two feet. There is no doubt that a political wing that has two flanks is far more competitive in a political battle, threfore a genuine Pole and political alternative is a very warmly welcomed move within the Right for at least three reasons. The first reason why the Pole is welcomed to the political scene of the Right is the fact that the current electoral structure is such, that an alternative pole, not only does not remove votes from the right wing but attracts votes. This alternative pole has the capacity to gather all those votes of people, who for whatever reason always vote Right, but who no longer associate this vote with Berisha and this coalition governement. The second reason is that the pole could serve as a committment to all the “lethargic” voters of the Right or of the “gray” electorate, who would otherwise have stayed at home or in the local coffee shops on E-Day. There is no doubt that this classification of voter exists and they would not have committed if the political offer had not been realistically interesing. The third and more important reason, particularly when the Right has been in office for four years, is that many disenchanted right wing voters, a natural product of the consumption of power, instead of voting against or abstaining, now have the Pole, another alternative, without having to change political camps. Therefore there is no reason why the Freedom Pole should not be welcomed. And the Freedom Pole will have its own challanges to face: the most important being, precisely to play the role of a stop bank to a possible erosion of right wing votes. By being a natural limb of the Right flank, positioning itself as a rival but not an opponent of the Democratic Party and the governing coalition, is the first and minimal condition that this political organism should fulfill. It is more than possible today to create opportunities for the future of the Right wing to move forward through another path, where rivalry replaces the vicious anatgonism of the last roughly twenty years of the existence of the Right wing. In this manner, the Freedom Pole is faced with the double challange of being simultaneously a political alternative on its own and complimentary of the Right wing alternative on the whole.
