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► Page 6 IN THE PHOTO: (left) Tony Podesta, government lobbyist in Washington (right) Prime Minister Sali Berisha The government has no money, it allocates funds after Independence The Council of Ministers decides on “Podesta”. Here is the budget IN THE PHOTO: (left) Tony Podesta, government lobbyist in Washington (right) Prime Minister Sali Berisha

BY PREÇ ZOGAJ How much room is there for a new Albanian renaissance? The Socialist Party and its leader, Edi Rama, are heading toward the June 23 elections with the proposal of what they have called the “Albanian Renaissance” or, in short, the “Renaissance.” The term is quite strong if we keep in mind the fact that the Renaissance, as such, represents a rare and magnificent development in the history of civilizations or nations. The European Renaissance, for example, is what separated the dark Middle Ages from modern times. The Albanian national renaissance marked the formation of the Albanian nation and state. At the end of the Second World War, Enver Hoxha’s communists came to power with the salvific slogan of rebuilding a new world. In the 1990s, Albania experienced its democratic renaissance after many years of isolation, repression and communist terror. The examples above show that, essentially, true renaissances are not programmed; they happen. They are baptized as such a posteriori, by the value of the changes they bring. Meanwhile, salvific renaissances for a new world, like the one the communists aspired to after the war... ► continued on page 21

YESTERDAY “THE ROW” PS complains: 290 thousand people without an address Report I of the Socialist Party audit, details revealed at the CEC TIRANA ARTEMISA HOXHA The 10-page report that the vice-chairman of the CEC, Denar Biba, handed over to the ODIHR mission contains the main problems encountered in this institution, including... ► Pages 2-3

► Page 8 “Gërdeci”, the prosecution takes the Appeal Court ruling to the Supreme Court

► Pages 13-17 Urinary infections, everything you need to know about treatment

Rama gathers the allies, 33 parties together so far ► Page 4

“Basha doesn’t meet us, let the ticket be 70 lekë” ► Page 7

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