If the level of most politicians continues to decline at this rate, voters will become completely disillusioned with the political class . Albanian citizens are more cultured than their politicians. Pages 16–17

Albanian politicians usually, when faced with a barrage of criticism of their shortcomings, make excuses by trying to shift the blame away from themselves and lay it all on other factors. Thus, even when clashes arise within a party, some leader is sure to interpret them as “the work of some force outside the party”, usually another party. Most recently, it is the turn of the socialist leader, Gjinushi, who has portrayed the “rebellion” that began among the leadership of his party as inspired and orchestrated by the Socialist Party, the major ally in the governing coalition to which PSD also belongs, but has not forgotten to name the newspaper “Koha Jonë” as responsible for the division within it (!). First of all, at least on the face of it, it is difficult to find convincing motives or arguments for any aims or wishes on the part of the socialist camp to create turmoil or even destroy an allied party. On the other hand, given the serious difficulties confronting the governing coalition in power, few can believe that its leading force is inclined to create disorder in its own camp. Moreover, given PSD’s negligible weight, whether on the political scene, in parliament or in the governing coalition—parliament and, indeed, the coalition owe their existence to socialist charity—it is hard to imagine the socialist leadership occupying itself with it, especially when it has its own troubles now that it is also on the eve of a very important congress. Perhaps Gjinushi, like some other leaders, thinks he can use the “bogeyman” of the “outside enemy” to preserve unity within his small party. This creates the conditions for attacking “anti-party elements” by accusing them of “playing someone else’s game”. But before the social-democratic leader looks for the causes of the situation in his party in another party or the independent media, he would do better to look for them within his own party, first and foremost within himself. Even people who know nothing about politics would not believe that the split in PSD and, above all, the fact that for years this party has remained with an electorate below the 3 percent threshold are the result of the policies of PS, PD or the media. What is happening in PSD today shows that something must change in its leadership.

. Half the citizens have no kind of activity at all. Page 9

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