The days of 1991 are not far away, difficult days when the country was in complete economic, political and social chaos. The Albanian people were still unfamiliar with democracy. Then the need arose for a free democratic organ, for the publication of a newspaper that would reflect what was happening in the country. RILINDJA DEMOKRATIKE was the first opposition newspaper in Albania and the first without the censorship of the communist dictatorship. It was born before the Democratic Party was formed and remains a tribune of freedom of speech. Its pages reflect a vivid chronicle of the efforts of Albanian democrats in the fight against dictatorship and in the battle for true democracy. On this anniversary, the reader finds in this issue memories, testimonies and documents from the time when “RD” became the voice of democratic resistance in Albania.

In these years of transition, Albanian society has proved that freedom of the press and independent thought are essential conditions for building true democracy. The newspaper “RD” became a tribune for political debate and for denouncing violations of the law. Albania went through difficult turns, and political conflicts often became more acute. But freedom of speech remained a decisive weapon against the return of old authoritarian practices. In this sense, the opposition press played an irreplaceable role in informing citizens.

Nano sends greetings in the name of the fishermen - “...In the name of the PPSH, in the name of all the fishermen, the farmers and the peasants, greetings to comrade “ZP”.” The newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” once again returns to the old propaganda language, bringing to mind the clichés of the monist era. In an ironic comment, “RD” emphasizes that some political figures continue to speak in everyone’s name, without asking anyone. The text mentions names and expressions that recall the time when the party’s word was presented as the voice of the people. This way of speaking, according to the author, is proof that the old mentality has not yet disappeared. Of that “discovery” of the cutting edge letter by the communist propaganda organ, “ZP”, in the article “Why” by Pal Xhufi, under the pseudonym “Kastriot Dervishi” in the issue dated 27.12.1993 of the newspaper “ZP”, as the author himself explains at the end of his article, it writes: “As also stated by the magazine ‘The Economist’, Europe is waking up from the ‘Albanian lethargy’ of the Cold War years. It is time to speak about yesterday’s and today’s writings and to draw lessons.” E PALOKA

Yesterday, at the central headquarters of the Democratic Party, representatives of “International Medias Fond” handed over to the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” a typesetting machine called “Demokracia”. This assistance is considered a concrete support for the free Albanian press and for improving the technical conditions of publication. At the handover ceremony, it was emphasized that freedom of the press is one of the fundamental conditions for consolidating democracy. The representatives of the fund expressed their readiness to support similar initiatives in the future for the benefit of independent media in Albania.

The newspaper “Albania” and its comments on the opposition press have triggered numerous reactions. The article deals with the way public debate is presented and with the attempt to relativize the differences between free press and yesterday’s propaganda. The author argues with Frrok Çupi and with the approach of the newspaper “Albanca” [?], stressing that the Albanian public now distinguishes free journalism from political service disguised as analysis. In conclusion, it is underlined that democratic transition also requires responsibility in public language.