The government openly backs the Minister of Culture against the artists, risking the government cabinet’s slide onto the ice of this harsh winter Today, artists from all the cities begin gathering outside the strike headquarters page 3

Given the recurring conflicts within the Coalition, the high and persistent level of corruption, the quality of governance and the lack of growth in Albanians’ economic well-being, given the pessimism about

Given the recurring conflicts within the Coalition, the high and persistent level of corruption, the quality of governance and the lack of growth in Albanians’ economic well-being, and given the desire to regain power, PD leader Sali Berisha is making one last desperate push for power. toward the lack of growth in Albanians’ economic well-being, and given the desire to regain power, PD leader Sali Berisha is making one last desperate push for power. He moves around, shouting in defense of his ideas on how power should be managed, doing the financial sums for those in power, promising salaries of over 100 dollars a month and minimum pensions of over 50 dollars, appealing to businesses with promises to cut taxes by 50%, promising public order within 3–5 months, and rushing to meet people from South to North, aiming for new parliamentary elections. In any case, he is on the move in a mad dash. All this is part of the opposition’s work, just as it is the government’s job to get its own house in order so that it can govern effectively in the service of Albanian voters. But Berisha is making perfect use of the crisis among the alliances in the governing Coalition, the names of several thieving ministers who make the rules and are not held accountable before the law, and the lack of genuine communication among the Presidency, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Socialist majority. Berisha turns everything to his advantage so that he can attack at every opportunity; he at every opportunity: the blockade during the elections; the lack of electricity, water, finances and public order; the failure to return all the pyramid-scheme money; thefts at customs; the artists’ strike; occasional apathy—in short, everything that works against the Socialists. The PD leader is putting it all into his sack, which he carries over his shoulder from one city to another. While those in power warm themselves in their large offices, spread their legs to feel the heat, and dine on wine and meat, forgetting that Berisha is every day in a mad dash for power. This kind of officeholder is preoccupied with what he will report to his wife about the day’s earnings—that is, the next bribe. Berisha is a persistent man, ready even to commit harakiri, just so that power may smile on him and his designs, after which he can use all the powers to hold on to one power: Berisha’s power.

Pages 8, 19 -12 degrees, snow blocks the Northeast

News at 24:00 Quite unexpectedly, while everyone was discussing the fate of the strikers, the police decided to pay them a completely “friendly” visit at 24:00, embraced the strikers, and, while holding them tight, led them out of the strike hall, sealing with wire the door of the Puppet Theatre, which is also the former building of the Albanian Parliament. This brought the first phase of the strike by those dismissed from the Opera and Ballet Theatre to an end. They were taken away to an unknown destination, and nothing is known about whether they will continue the strike or whether they continued it in the early hours after midnight. The police themselves issued no announcement or information, but merely forcibly removed journalists from the scene. The hunger strikers were expelled immediately after the government’s statement opposing the means they had chosen to resolve their conflict with the Minister of Culture and the director of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The incident, which took place without warning at midnight, is expected to provoke a massive reaction from those who have supported the hunger strike in recent days, causing an earthquake within the ranks of the Meta government.