FLASH
Shkruar nga Ben Andoni
Statistics show that the Rama government is far from reality and works more for governmental make-up and international appearance, but not the foundations and future of the state.
If Albania becomes a full member of the EU at the end of the third decade of the 21st century, then no narrative, remark, criticism or opposition will have any great significance for Mr. Rama's IV government, but also for the longest-serving head of Albanian governments post-'90 himself. He can even enjoy the status of Statesman with which his subordinates often flatter him, often humorously. After all, it is a long-standing and essential desire of the Albanian leader.
And, time is helping Brussels' promises. Meanwhile, in the fourth socialist mandate, the Opposition has 'surrendered' and become 'cooperative' (there are even hints of inclusion in the government); appointments, even the most inappropriate ones, are no longer discussed, because often the hand of the DP is seen inside; the fire that burned down almost 2% of Albania's national territory this year (!) no longer makes an impression; new structures are being created for waste and water, although in fact there are a full 50 such structures that will now be disciplined by a central authority (Tirana only has 3 hours of water a day!); tourism will be plowed and the administration in our "Caribbean" will be reviewed and so on to the military industry that will be a challenge to the development of Albanians.
At first glance, it seems that the state is being torn down to its foundations. In addition, the repeated campaign of informality during Rama's leadership has revealed that people in the administration waste without batting an eyelash, are systematically corrupted, and theft and abuse do not end. Without any hesitation, groups of municipal officials resigned, showing us that the public perception of them is correct, just as their servility towards Rama is proverbial. The consequences: The panorama of Albania, despite all the assessments of poverty, remains stressful. Poverty is expected to decrease by 1.1 percentage points this year, but 20% of the country's population will again face the phenomenon, the World Bank predicts in its latest summary for Albania. After increasing to 33.1% in 2020 due to the November 2019 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty is estimated to have fallen to 22.5% in 2023, due to GDP per capita growth, and is expected to decrease further by 1.5 percentage points in 2024 and 1.1% in 2025, the Bank analyzes. And although inequality has decreased, it remains at the highest level in the Western Balkans after Montenegro (36.9). Albania maintains a high gap compared to the global standard of well-being of 25 USD per day per person. (Monitor, 2025).
These statistics show that the Rama government is far from reality and works more for the make-up of the government and international appearance, but not the foundations and future of the state. Now that we are filled with promises for membership and where we are soon starting the difficult path and obstacles of closing the chapters, one thing is clearly understood: Rama's Albania is not yet the Albania of its citizens. The anti-state has taken the state by the throat. Not in vain, the exorbitant prices, the missing services, the dysfunction of the social state, the often shameful appointments, the problematic infrastructure of the country, the transport still at backward levels, the lack of railway service, medical service, the lack of meritocracy are not a piece of paper in the file of the full integration dossiers but problematic measures that we hope will be properly addressed in the process of closing the chapters. Unfortunately, the list of people, except for those who believe in narrow interests, or the numerous directors appointed without meritocracy and the cigar-licking slobs, and other similar paraphernalia, do not know and worse still cannot perceive the survival of a simple family, the struggle of Albanian professionals who mock the kin, the challenge of pensions for the remaining years of retirees..., the power of the "strong", who build and conquer everything.
Anti-state is everywhere in Albania and this is felt in the lack of reflection of these reforms that Rama often rightly initiates but that are soon abandoned. Or as state inspectors everywhere say with the well-known metaphor: Wait until the wave passes! Albanian anti-state is that foreign measure that must be minimized because with the unstoppable swell it is increasingly difficult to remove it from the weakened body of the Albanian state. In fact, our anti-state does not fit the classical concept. Theoretically, “Anti-state” means not simply being against your state, but acting against it or its authority, often including opposition to the government, its policies or the very existence of the state itself. Scholars refer to an individual, an action, a message or an ideology that is opposed to state power and control. All this is in the theoretical sense because in the practical sense, our state seems to be respected on the surface (the opposition's Civil Obedience was never like that) but it is being damaged at every moment. The SPAK files are undeniable proof...
With what we are seeing and experiencing so far, our country is suffering from major and essential problems. Tourism, a field that remains one of the main contributors to GDP, has exposed and demonstrated to millions of foreign citizens our problems rooted in mentality, services and the ugliness of actions. There would be hopeful signals to make a change or to initiate it, if we could induce a new and qualified workforce. As happens with developing countries and which is held as the first step of growth. This statistic (the new labor force and not only) is abandoning our country and therefore we are sparing the reader the sad data. The education system can no longer promise this reform with the level, with the investment in research and, especially, the introduction of politics into it for appointments and even those who write the textbooks.
And yet, if you listen to Rama and his people, this is achievable, passable and Europe is there Ante Portas. In the first sense, this expression is considered a danger (the Romans used it for Hannibal, when he was approaching their Gates) and the second for something sudden and inevitable. Rama must understand this because he owes it to the Albanians, their state against the Anti-state, sprouted from wherever the people of his power have inspired him more than once. The challenge seems great because the concept of the state is great, but the Anti-state is vigilant to oppose it in ideology, authority and power.
It is understood that the Opposition has promised and could very well do the opposite with the meaning of the image for the state of their form, even though reality is showing us that we often find them on Rama's track, the path of interest of many of them. "The state is neither egalitarian nor inegalitarian in itself: it all depends on who controls it and for what purpose", writes Thomas Piketty in "A Brief History of Equality". This is important for the image of Rama who does everything for his ego, but not for the Anti-State that will undo everything and even flatter Rama himself with Janus-like faces. It is September 2025.
Lini një Përgjigje