Edi Rama announces resignation, protests are heading to the prime minister’s door to remove him from office, majority in alarming situation
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s repeated statements, where he admitted that the pressure created by the protests and strong public reactions has made him think about the possibility of leaving office, have ignited the political debate in the country. Rama has hinted that the situation created by citizen dissatisfaction has placed him under unusual political and personal pressure. “These are surprising days, which for the first time have made me think about deeply humbly offering you the great honor you have done me and asking for your forgiveness for fleeing to the countryside and leaving you in the hands that you will choose yourself to protect Albania from foreigners. But I have chosen to do what I have always done, to lead you towards that Albania,” Rama said.
Majority in alarming situation
The pressure from the majority is very great after the 18th consecutive protest of the citizen revolt against the government was held yesterday. What started as an opposition to the resort project in Zvërnec and Sazan has turned into a much broader movement, with demands that go beyond environmental issues and directly affect governance, immigration, corruption and the future of the country. For more than two weeks, thousands of citizens have been filling the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard and the square in front of the Prime Minister’s Office every evening. Among the national flags, banners and calls against the government, the main demand remains the departure of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the socialist majority. This movement has gradually taken on the characteristics of a citizen protest, where participation is not dominated by parties, but by citizens, families, young people, professionals and emigrants returning for vacation. In the evening, after the speeches in front of the Prime Minister’s Office end, the protesters start the march that has now become part of the daily ritual of the protest. The main streets of Tirana are filled with long columns of people moving to the sound of patriotic chants and songs. However, Sunday’s protest marked a new moment for the movement. For the first time since the start of the revolt, protesters completely blocked the Tirana-Durres highway and the axis connecting the capital with Rinas International Airport. After more than two hours of speeches in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, the crowd marched towards the Kashari overpass, creating kilometers of traffic on the country’s most important road artery. The protesters then continued towards the airport road, paralyzing traffic for several hours in one of Albania’s most strategic nodes. Also, as thousands of citizens gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, the socialist MP for Shkodra, Marjana Koçeku, known as “Neomalesorja”, announced her departure from the Socialist Party parliamentary group. Through a public reaction on social media, she declared that she will continue her mandate as an independent MP, arguing that her boundaries are determined by personal values and not by party affiliation. One of the most distinctive elements of this movement remains the banners. If in the early days the messages for the protection of Zvërnec dominated, today the banners reflect a much broader range of concerns. Mass emigration, corruption, the cost of living, the lack of hope for young people and criticism of the political class have become the main themes of the revolt. Another important aspect of this protest is the diaspora. Albanians in London, Vienna, Munich, and various cities in the USA and Canada have organized solidarity rallies in support of the protesters in Albania. Hundreds of Albanians carrying the red and black flag have conveyed messages of support for the developments in Tirana. The call “Rama, resign” has now become the common refrain of protests at home and abroad. In this situation,The confrontation between the protest on the streets and the government in the institution is becoming the main test of the political climate in the country. While one side is demanding immediate political change, the other side is facing a constant increase in public and political pressure. The way the coming days will unfold is expected to show whether this clash will remain at the level of continuous protests or will move into a new phase of political developments in the country.
Exposing yourself to the world
On the other hand, Rama was always the charismatic prime minister of Albania, who went to international summits in white sneakers, made jokes and exchanged hugs with European leaders. In the eyes of the international media, the prime minister appeared as the “little boy” among all those serious leaders, becoming a popular figure even for journalists, who rushed to catch a spicy statement or an unusual moment that would guarantee them clicks. At conferences, Rama spoke about how Albania was developing, about the great desire of Albanians for EU membership and how the reforms of his government had transformed Albania, making it ready to sit at the big table of European countries. Albania was presented as the success story of the Balkans and Rama as its architect. But, those media that presented him as the “perfect” prime minister, did not know what was really happening in Albania. In their eyes, the reality that Albanians experience every day did not appear. It did not seem like the coast, the mountains and the public assets were handed over to a handful of oligarchs, or how poverty forced hundreds of thousands of Albanians to leave the country. Of course, it was not shown how Edi Rama and his majority voted to protect Belinda Balluku, who is accused by SPAK of abusing hundreds of millions of Albanian taxpayers’ euros. And to “unmask” her, the Albanians themselves would have to speak out! The protest that gathered tens of thousands of Albanians in Tirana and beyond became the reason for the international media to understand what is really happening in our country. It became a strong message to the world, showing that behind the propaganda of success lies a completely different reality, a country that continues to face corruption, inequality and the capture of institutions. For the first time, many journalists from the most prestigious international media were not interested in white sneakers or the usual jokes. Their questions focused on the Albanian economy, on the scandals with strategic investments and on the concreting of protected areas. What the propaganda had tried to hide for years, was shown to the world by the Albanians themselves, those who must take their fate into their own hands. The protest that entered its 18th day yesterday showed the world that Albania is not what appears in Rama’s statements, but a country that God has forgiven everything, but politicians have taken it away and do not know how to stop. This protest, which seems not to stop until the goal of Rama’s removal is achieved, has so far achieved one success: showing the world the Albanian reality!