Bootlickers
Albanian politics in recent years has been notable for the inconsistent actions of most politicians and for some of the most banal paradoxes, all converging in a lack of seriousness. And the greatest paradox is that Albanian politics is forced to suffer these ills because of the presence on its stage of several insignificant politicians who have privatized a number of small parties that, as a result of their dirty games, have lost even the slightest sign of identity. Politicians belonging to this category use the parties they claim to lead solely to secure illicit benefits. They do so while accusing Berisha and Nano of being “dictators,” yet they themselves continue to cling to the leadership of their parties. The reason for their contradictory political manoeuvres is precisely their exploitation of the parties they lead. As time has shown, such politicians think nothing of vilifying Nano or fawning over Berisha one day, then singing the former’s praises and railing against the opposition leader the next, only to return to their previous positions the day after. In other words, they put themselves at the service of whoever holds power. This is explained by their aim of securing some government post or a seat in parliament, naturally with other people’s votes. Corruption and the other afflictions from which the state suffers so terribly have their source in this tendency to “milk the state.” Specifically, the names most often mentioned in connection with corruption in recent years have been those of such leaders or their associates. But that is only half the story. Their greed to extort as much as possible drives this pack of bootlicking politicians to collaborate with mafioso businessmen—not only by placing state institutions at their service, but also by handing over national assets as though they were their own private estates. In this way, they are all the more interested in laws that are as submissive as possible and in politics being linked to crime, so that the country remains in permanent chaos. At least then, public opinion would not turn its gaze toward their pockets, which swell every day with dirty money. Moreover, since they see politics as a means of serving whoever is in power or close to it, they are more interested in keeping the two “big players” in politics in a state of perpetual conflict. Thus, whenever terms such as “dialogue” or “de-escalation” are mentioned between the DP and the SP, they fan the flames of conflict, pretending to feel drawn toward leaving politics. And indeed, the departure of these bootlickers from the political stage would be the greatest service that could be done for this battered country.