Albanian politics in Europe’s test bed
Has there ever been a post-communist country in Eastern Europe where the highest European institutions have shown such a sustained interest in political and institutional turmoil as in Albania? The collapse of communism did not bring the stability and democracy we sought to our country. This happened because politics carried with it the ideas and anti-values of the old totalitarian society, attempting to shape a new system grafted onto the communist one. And matters reached the point where not only democracy but also our survival as a nation was at risk. The European Troika—the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the European Parliament—has now understood this well, at least more so than most Albanian politicians. By putting Albania to the test of critical scrutiny, it has decided to manage the complex Albanian crisis. The “Achilles’ heel” is the constitution, from which most of the categorical positions adopted by the parties in their political struggle also stem. But the European Troika took this option away from them, seeking to prevent distortion and one-sided judgments. The first to have entered the groove of political thinking appears to be Berisha. As anticipated, the PD’s political pendulum will take another step following the European recommendation that the constitution be adopted by popular referendum. And at the press conference, Berisha seemed politically awakened, pro-
Continued on page 3