The court in a dispute over the assets of "Gjallica"
Blerim Çela in the role of prosecutor. State Control in a private company is illegal
The hunger of Vlora and the soup of power
Official propaganda seems to have failed to suppress the small yet visible signs that something important is happening: citizens’ hope. A big place is a small place and something is happening. At the beginning of March the legislature will confront the road blockade and the heavy burdens of a miserable state. This is not merely a matter of noise. It seems that, as often happens, once a limit is crossed, unpredictable consequences can follow. Perhaps the government is provoking too much? Perhaps something should have been addressed in time. Meanwhile, beyond Vlora there seems to be another boundary: that of how Albanian society is organized. After the brief practice of state control over some private companies, the question now arises whether the state should have controlled private companies at all. In telecommunications and especially in oil, the experience of some other countries is a sufficient reason not to rule out this possibility. Certainly, in Albania many controls can also be carried out with special laws, but the discussion about the border between the state and private actors remains open. In the end, this issue is not simply about money and companies, but a political issue. Therefore, careful concentration is needed, even though the path to a solution does not seem clear.
Left and right viewpoints were shown as if they were being prepared for a debate and an analysis.
Albanian television has long been lacking such a serious debate. This time, unlike earlier attempts, the program’s producers managed to select a group of intellectuals with differing views on current issues. They were asked whether strategic sectors such as oil, telecommunications and heavy industry should be left to private hands. Blerim Çela, taking on the role of prosecutor, categorically opposed state control over private companies. The rest of the program includes discussions about Vlora, the government, and the political crisis.
Photo: A. Beqiri
Albanians: 2 billion dollars have not been lost in funds
The PD softens the losses of the salt company.
. The Democratic Party softens the losses of the salt company.
Two activists of the Student Protest Council are arrested
.
The hunger of Vlora and the soup of power
Official propaganda seems to have failed to suppress the small yet visible signs that something important is happening: citizens’ hope. A big place is a small place and something is happening. At the beginning of March the legislature will confront the road blockade and the heavy burdens of a miserable state. This is not merely a matter of noise. It seems that, as often happens, once a limit is crossed, unpredictable consequences can follow. Perhaps the government is provoking too much? Perhaps something should have been addressed in time. Meanwhile, beyond Vlora there seems to be another boundary: that of how Albanian society is organized. After the brief practice of state control over some private companies, the question now arises whether the state should have controlled private companies at all. In telecommunications and especially in oil, the experience of some other countries is a sufficient reason not to rule out this possibility. Certainly, in Albania many controls can also be carried out with special laws, but the discussion about the border between the state and private actors remains open. In the end, this issue is not simply about money and companies, but a political issue. Therefore, careful concentration is needed, even though the path to a solution does not seem clear.
Photo: A. Beqiri
Statement by the Steering Committee
The Democratic Party committee and other political representatives discussed the crisis and the role of parliament. At the center was the election of the president, but also the protests in Vlora and the question of governance. The political debate reflected the tension in the country, with the opposition demanding accountability from the government and the institutions.
PR: In parliament, Vlora’s strike, not the election of the president
Statement by the Steering Committee
The party’s Steering Committee said that 25 February, the second day of the strike in Vlora, was a clear demonstration that the political and economic situation in the country had worsened. Some Democratic Party deputies and other political representatives discussed the crisis, linking it to developments in parliament and to the election of the president. According to the statement, the main problem was not the election of the head of state, but the situation in Vlora and the governance of the country.
1. Republican Party deputies stressed that the vote for president should be tied to political stability and to resolving the crisis. 2. Parliamentary debates were taking place while the protests in Vlora continued and workers demanded answers for the losses of the savings companies.
3. The Republican Party and some opposition groups called for accountability for the deep social and economic crisis, seeing it as proof of the government’s and institutions’ failure.
