FLASH
Shkruar nga Lutfi Dervishi
How long will the zeal to free public spaces from the clutches of private individuals last this time? They say that with August comes the heat.
From "stop the demolition" to the next ultimatum.
Even before taking office as Prime Minister in 2013 (when the iPhone 4 was still in use), Edi Rama warned of action against the usurpation of public spaces and illegal construction. He set up the "stop demolition" platform, calling on citizens to report any abusive construction with photos. The Prime Minister called the phenomenon of illegal construction "an aggressive cancer" and promised a "broad and deep operation" led by the state police, which would not stop "until the rule of law is established on the territory."
The stop demolition website was flooded with complaints.
In September 2013, as soon as he took power, the police launched actions against unauthorized construction: within two weeks, over 4,000 illegal structures were inventoried and dozens of those responsible were prosecuted.
However, time showed that the "cancer" of territorial abuse was never treated like a tumor.
After the noisy actions, the phenomenon of unauthorized construction and the occupation of sidewalks and every public space continued to repeat, like Netflix series - a new season every year.
Every summer on the beaches, the government issues warnings and the police carry out several actions, removing umbrellas and sun loungers placed without permission.
In cities, and especially in the capital, it has become routine for small businesses and large builders to place barriers and temporary constructions where they do not belong; from sidewalks, to entrances, and even on the terraces of buildings.
Some builders, after selling their apartments, continue to control the surrounding areas as if they had inherited the property from their father. The Prime Minister calls this practice "abusive and scandalous."
Today, on his birthday, Rama publicly warned bars, cafes and any entity that has occupied public space to "dismantle" the unauthorized constructions themselves, otherwise they will face the "force of the law."
He singled out those who have blocked the spaces between buildings with beams and fences. According to today's commitment, in the first two weeks of this month an inventory of every urban occupation will be made, while in the following two weeks a massive action will begin to liberate them once and for all.
The tune is familiar: zero tolerance, the law above all, "we will build our common home in the air," says the prime minister.
But those who still have eyes in their foreheads and brains (not husks) in their heads to remember have heard this music before.
The facts speak differently. In 2022, the government itself announced an "aggressive campaign" against unauthorized additions to towers (one of the towers in Skanderbeg Square has five floors built without a permit), vowing to confiscate them for social housing and that violators would "pay dearly."
This ultimatum was dissolved a year later, forgiving almost all the sins of the builders. The builders paid with symbolic prices. This case shows that the "force of law" bends when the interests of those who have it are at stake.
Even for the tobacco law, another cause where an "uncompromising war" has been trumpeted, the facts speak differently. The implementation of this law has faded to the point of ridicule. Only 71 fines against bars in the entire year 2024, a ridiculous number compared to the thousands of places where smoking is allowed. The state has become a spectator of the violation of the law.
In this context, the prime minister's calls to "dismantle urban squatters themselves" sound right, but ironically belated. Right, because public spaces belong to everyone and abusers must be punished. But the calls are belated and somewhat hypocritical, because it was precisely under his government that the usurpation of sidewalks, parks, and yards became the daily norm. If there had been even a little political will, shared spaces would not have reached this level.
How long will the zeal to free public spaces from the clutches of private individuals last this time? They say that with August comes the heat. They also say that Elbasan is burning... But if there is one lesson from these last 10 years, it is that the enthusiasm for such actions fades quickly, while the "cancer of the territory" returns like the tide, goes away for a while for "respect", then returns stronger. The Russians describe it best with the expression: "at the command of the fish, anything can happen".
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