Political strife in Italy fuels attacks on Albania by the Italian media We are indeed a small and poor country, but we are also a nation that has helped the Italians page 2

BY GAVROSH LEVONJA Nano and the other Socialist leaders’ idea of granting representatives of civil society the license to run for local office, without discussing its merits, carries with it the risk of deepening the gulf between the party base and its governing forums. Unlike on previous occasions, in his efforts to have people from civil society represent him in the autumn local elections, Nano risks having his own party base as his main opponent. This conclusion can also be reached on the basis of some meetings of PS structures at the grassroots, including in the capital, where a kind of “allergy” among ordinary Socialists toward people imported from civil society has been observed. Meanwhile, sympathies and support have gone to those who carry a party membership card in their pocket. This attitude is based, first of all, on the mentality that asks “how much has this or that person given to the party?” On the other hand, this culture among the broad layer of party militants, who are in fact the real “engine” of PS, holds that their problems can best be solved only by an official who comes from among them, without considering other factors such as ability or reputation. In this respect, the impact of the negative experience of forming the “Alliance for the State” coalition cannot be denied. In fact, the allied ministers not only remained largely free of any obligation to the Socialist electorate, despite having been vested with power thanks to its vote, but instead of working at least for the state, they thought about themselves and their party. And, on the other hand, the biggest losers were the Socialists and their voters alone. Precisely because of the abuse of their vote—or, to put it more plainly, the mockery of it—such relations between officials have made the PS rank and file and electorate fearful of any official who is not a Socialist. Otherwise, Nano is knowingly reckoning with such a reality; Nano is attentively reckoning with such a reality, more in order to wash his hands of some of his allies at the last minute, more in order to wash his hands of some of his allies at the last minute, more in order to wash his hands of some of his allies at the last minute, passing the responsibility to them before the Socialist electorate, by presenting the idea of “candidates from civil society” as the fruit of agreements with these allies. However, whether Nano or someone else, by maneuvering with the articles of the PD statute, imposes the idea of running representatives from civil society in order to conceal the Socialist electorate, they will face the risk of losing their base. This is because, ultimately, what will decide the autumn local elections is the vote of Socialist voters, not deals made in offices or with inconsistent allies.

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For a year, he has been brutally beaten several times in a cell. They have demanded money and land from him The court sentences them, but they still continue their work Page 11

Tender opens for another frequency for mobile phones. SIEMENS the first candidate page 15