The session on changing RTV’s status turns into a physical fight among MPs. Hajdari throws punches at Hasani. The law passes. 300 people protest in front of Arbnori. Pollo: Today a mugicë, tomorrow Tirana. Passports: diplomatic and service passports blocked. The session on changing RTV’s status turns into a physical fight among MPs. Hajdari throws punches at Hasani. The law passes. PD: Gladiator MPs clash 300 people protest in front of Arbnori. Pollo: Today a mugicë, tomorrow Tirana. Passports: diplomatic and service passports blocked. Page 3

Two weeks after former parliamentary speaker Pjetër Arbnori began his hunger strike, the Socialists and their allies abandoned their decision to oppose discussion of the “Arbnori” amendment, which had prompted his decision to make the ultimate sacrifice. They not only agreed to discuss it, but went even further by making changes that may even exceed the demands of the “Mandela of Europe.” In many respects, the Socialists’ retreat deserves to be viewed positively. First, by taking this step in response to Mr Arbnori’s request to give the opposition more room in the state electronic media, they are, in any case, making a valuable contribution to democratisation. Second, even if only temporarily, this concession eases relations between the government and the opposition, tensions that usually generate crises in the country. It also helps create conditions for a degree of cooperation between the government and the opposition, albeit at a minimal level. But the way the left in power arrived at this turning point can be described as the best investment in PD’s favour, particularly in raising Arbnori’s profile. The first impression this move by the Socialists creates among the public is that their initial position was unjust, fully vindicating Arbnori’s decision to make the ultimate sacrifice. It will also be thought that PD, despite its mistakes during its time in government, is always a party that fights for democracy, while Berisha’s thesis—that the Socialists are inclined to return to old ways or “take the country back to 1991”—becomes more credible. Indeed, from the outset, the “Mandela of Europe’s” hunger strike was accompanied by intensive propaganda on this point. In addition, PD made effective use of various statements—not only those supporting Mr Arbnori, but also those calling on the parties to show understanding and find common ground. In this way, such positions expressed abroad further strengthen the idea among the Albanian public that “PD is right.” Yet in politics, positions, different moves, and turns taken at particular moments carry far greater weight; sometimes they can have enormous consequences and sometimes prove fatal. Everyone remembers how, not so long ago, Berisha insisted on making no changes to the Meksi government, forming no coalition government with his opponents, and holding no early elections. It was precisely Berisha’s inability to move from his initial position, or his very late reversals, that made his downfall inevitable. Bearing this in mind, the politicians currently leading the PS should have thought things through carefully before Arbnori decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. The government should have known whether it could win a test of strength against Arbnori, Berisha, and PD, or whether it should have given ground from the outset.

A girl lays flowers for the princess killed at the British Embassy in Tirana Photo: REUTERS

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