A Little Spring
BY TEODOR KEKO
On Sunday evening, TVSH (not the spine-chilling one!) presented to us a conversation between our prime minister, Mr. Nano, and the journalist Fevziu. This program would have passed unnoticed, like many others, had Nano not “broken the rules of the game,” to some extent. Calm, open-minded, correct, and without giving up his quirks, Nano revealed what Gollsuorhi once called “The Forsytes’ Little Spring.” For the first time, we saw a prime minister who did not speak in aggressive tones, foam at the corners of his mouth, but spoke peacefully, like an administrator appointed by consensus on the basis of a rotation. The fact that he is also a party leader and did not speak as such throughout the program shows a high degree of open-mindedness, which Nano would do well to continue cultivating in himself.
But what mattered more to weary Albanians was the peaceful atmosphere cultivated by Nano and also adopted by the other politicians. Recently, the absence of hysterical shouting, childish threats, and the articulation of nonsense by our political leaders has been noticeable. Perhaps the Kosovo factor, perhaps the critical state the country is in, perhaps a realistic view of the situation Albania finds itself in, have made our politicians calmer, more rational, and less aggressive—a change worth applauding. When the leading politicians preach calm, the signs point to fair weather tomorrow.
Another positive aspect of Nano’s conversation was the simplicity of his language, as well as the transparency with which he addressed the public. From a Nano whom, until yesterday, even linguists could barely understand—at most 10% of his speech—on Sunday we had a more comprehensible Nano, who set out concretely the objectives of the government he leads and established concrete deadlines for achieving them. Essentially, he accepted that tomorrow, when the deadline he himself set arrives, he will appear again before the public and show to what extent he has kept his promises.
Apart from the criticisms that can be made of Nano, it can be acknowledged that his calmness, the separation of administration from politics, and the transparency and concreteness of his ideas are like a little spring in battered Albania—a spring that should last as long as possible. This should also be Nano’s main objective. It would be madness to expect him to bring about a rapid economic recovery in this shattered country, but perhaps it is reasonable to expect him to become an ambassador of peace in the country! At last, he has embarked on this path, and now all of us should help him stay the course.