At the weekend, the Albanians will elect a new Parliament, but the pictures of the candidates are not visible on the streets. Instead, posters to decorate with the wish “Happy Ramadan”, the main Boulevard of Tirana.
No flags, no shouting: The peaceful participants of a final rally of the Socialist party in Tirana
If you ignore the constant honking of the cars and the traffic noise, it is almost silent on the streets and squares in Tirana. Hardly anything suggests the Sunday’s elections: No election posters, no noisy election rallies, hardly aggressive fight rants or insults of political opponents. In the full cafe you don’t hear the heated discussions between voters who have traditionally been among the supporters of the Socialist party (PS), or of the Democratic party (PD). Such disputes have ended in Albania earlier sometimes in fisticuffs, and even assault or murder.
Until the middle of may, things looked quite different. Through their blockade of the PD-deputies had placed the political life in Albania almost lame: they boycotted since February, the Parliament and could not for the electoral register. In the middle of the main Boulevard in Tirana, the PD had set up the tent of a Protest: From there, sonicated PD-politicians and their followers from metre-high speakers, the headquarters of the Albanian Prime Minister, other government buildings, and the whole six-lane road until late in the evening, with aggressive Talk and loud music.
Only through the pressure and mediation by representatives of the EU and the US state Department, there was a conversation between the Chairman of the PS and the rival PD. Also, Federal foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, called on the PD during his visit in Tirana in mid-April to end the boycott of Parliament.
Premier Edi Rama and PD-Chef Lulzim Basha agreed in may, the formation of a cross-party transitional government, the Opposition took over the office of the Deputy heads of government and four major ministries, and a number of other measures to guarantee fair elections.
Populist Election Promises
As a power-conscious, but hardly distinguishable from each end of the political clans, the socialists and the Democrats in Albania have ruled in the last two decades, alternately – with the help of the small LSI (Socialist movement for Integration), as the majority earner.
Now, the two major parties, PS and PD want to rule alone – without the LSI as a king-maker. Premier Rama said that he wants to be the tax man to lead Albania into the EU. He wanted taxes on his lap “no capricious children” (a nod to the LSI), which would prevent him from the helm, as he would like it. Also the PD, the Chairman of Basha described the LSI as “the merchant of Venice”, “the power of political dirt business”.
Until the middle of may here, on the main Boulevard in Tirana, a Protest camp of the opposition Democratic party
Not only the attack on the former coalition partner connects the two major parties these days. There are Similarities in many of the populist, unworkable campaign promises: tax cuts, faster economic recovery, the fight against corruption, and Cannabis production. And, of course, in the case of your repeated promises of a political orientation of Albania towards the EU and the West.
Entanglements of politics
Albania will be the measure in Brussels, mainly due to the fact that whether the already in the last summer, the Parliament adopted the judicial reform will now be implemented at last, says Romana Vlahutin, EU Ambassador in Albania, in the DW-Interview. A difficult task, because many state employees in the judicial area are considered to be corrupt and have bought their positions with bribes. And in this nexus of corruption and bribery of the judiciary, the policy is deeply enmeshed.
A first step of this judicial reform is the establishment of an independent Commission to examine the roughly 800 judges and prosecutors in the country on their professional and personal Suitability was last week. It was also recently passed a “decriminalization law” for representatives of politics and the Public: Thus some of the former members and other individuals have withdrawn their candidacies, because they are suspected of various offences, or already several times have a criminal record. Nevertheless, says Afrim Krasniqi, Director of the independent Institute of political studies in Tirana, to stand in place of family members or other relatives.
The journalist and former foreign Minister in the PD government between 2005 and 2007, Besnik Mustafaj, believes that a Grand coalition between the PS and PD would be a beacon of hope for Albania. However, no matter whether it is on the Sunday, the favorite Edi Rama or outsider Lulzim triumphs Basha, no matter whether it is the LSI then enters to a Grand coalition or the new Government as the majority earner should come: The political path that can only lead in the EU. Because the EU perspective is the Only thing the warring parties – have in the long term – together.