— have you, perhaps, fallen from the sky, O voice of the PSI, to work miracles? How much that socialist of the dressing rooms has suffered and how unbearable his opponent's temperament has been, I have understood very well. All that turmoil and horror, bursting out in an attack of harsh words and angry disparagements, must have driven him to the exclamation: “Even this one turned up...” He may very well have been right. Considering that socialism is sinking into crisis and going through an extremely difficult trial, anyone would feel the need for calm and restraint. But this is only a passing feeling, because if you look more deeply, great crises are not born of calm and appeasement, but of confrontation. If there is one thing this country needs today, it is not to keep silent. Not to accept anything as given and untouchable. To discuss, to oppose, to confront the bitter truths. This does not mean chaos, but the only way for mistakes to be recognized and corrected. The Socialist Party cannot behave like a power that has come down from the sky. It has a history, a burden, a responsibility. Just as it also has many ordinary people, who have suffered and who expect from it not miracles, but honesty, courage, and a clear word. It is not the citizens who must justify themselves for their lack of trust. It is the parties, it is the leaders, it is all those who today ask for votes, and who must account for what they did yesterday and what they want to do tomorrow. I, as a mother, and as a woman who has seen at close hand people's fatigue, shortages, fear and hope, say to the socialists: do not think that the people forget. They may forgive, but they do not forget. And beautiful words are not enough for them. Let us speak openly. Let us ask one another without anger: where did you go wrong, why did you remain silent, what did you learn? Only then can there be trust. Only then does the word “change” not remain the slogan of the day. If the voice of the PSI wants to be heard, let it come down to earth. Let it be the voice of the people, not of halls. Let it hear the anxiety of mothers, the disappointment of workers, the impatience of the young. Otherwise, every call will sound like an empty echo. (To be continued on page 2)

— official talks in Rome between leaders of PSI and PSSH — The talks in Rome between representatives of the Socialist Party of Albania and leaders of PSI went smoothly, a meeting regarded as important for relations between the left-wing forces at a time of major political changes. During the meetings it was emphasized that the future of the left cannot be based on nostalgia or old formulas, but on a new democratic, social and European vision. The need to reform the left under the conditions of pluralism and a market economy was underlined. The Albanian representatives presented developments in the country, the difficulties of the transition, the difficult economic situation and the expectations of the left-wing electorate. They asked for political and moral support for strengthening a modern Albanian left. The Italian side expressed the conviction that left-wing parties should be judged not by the past, but by their ability to offer solutions for the future. “Looking toward the future is the true test of the left-wing forces,” it was said in the talks. The talks also dealt with issues of bilateral cooperation, the exchange of organizational experience, contacts between parliamentary groups and support for Albania's European integration. The participants assessed that building a credible left-wing force requires transparency, responsibility and openness toward society. Emphasis was placed on the need to break away from every form of dogmatism and to build a new political culture. The meeting ended in a spirit of understanding and cooperation, with readiness to continue contacts in the future as well. (To be continued on page 2)

THE ENIGMA OF FATE OR THE POLITICAL CROSSROAD XIII (final) As Naim and Fishta wrote, Albanians have often had the tendency to seek salvation in fate, chance, the intervention of an invisible hand. But politics is neither a lottery nor astrology. It is will, interest, organization and responsibility. At a time when the country is going through major upheavals, the temptation to explain everything by “fate” is great. Shortages, insecurity, departures, conflicts, poverty — all of it seems to push people to give up action and take refuge in anxiety. But this is precisely where the political crossroads begins: when people give up citizenship and leave decisions about their lives to others. Democracy is not built with sighs. It requires participation, debate, choices, accountability. If the citizen does not speak, someone else decides in their name. If they do not ask questions, someone else deceives them. If they do not react, someone else uses them. That is why the enigma of fate is, in fact, our political test. Will we act as spectators of history or as participants in it? Will we wait for chance, or will we consciously build a new order? The political crossroad occurs whenever hope is replaced by illusion, when responsibility gives way to excuses, when the citizen withdraws from public life and closes in on themselves. Then politics degrades into gossip, hatred, revenge. Albania today needs a different political culture: one of patience, argument, tolerance, democratic organization. Without it, even the freest elections can produce disappointment; with it, even a weary society can be reborn. At the end of the day, the fate of a nation does not fall from the sky. It is written by its people. It is not fatalism that rules us, but the way we behave in the face of freedom. The fundamental principle of a political force is not the demonization of the opponent, but the ability to persuade the citizen. This is difficult, but the only civilized path. We do not need to look for some distant star. It is enough to see what we do here, in this country, with this society, with this time. The sooner we learn to act as citizens and not as victims of some mysterious decree, the closer we will be to finding our way out of the labyrinth. Fate will not save us. Only responsibility will.

With whose head do you think, gentlemen? (continued from p. 2) “Even you socialists (and you, my own), do not be deceived by temporary triumphs. The strengthening of the health of a social opinion is not measured by occasional applause, but by the maturity to accept even the harshest criticism. Otherwise, every victory remains only a false decoration.” The author stresses that elections should not become a contest of insults, but a confrontation of programs. Many, he writes, behave as if the country were booty rather than a community of citizens. If we continue with the same old thinking, the same arbitrariness and the same contempt for people, there is no reform the people will trust. That is why the question “with whose head do you think?” is not rhetorical. It is a moral accusation against those who speak about the people without listening to them. (To be continued on page 4)

(Interview of our journalist with BASHKIM ZENELI, secretary for foreign relations of the Steering Committee of PSSH) Comrades from the progressive European parties are understanding more and more clearly the evolution and future of the Albanian left. PSSH cannot remain isolated; it must enter into an open dialogue with the European socialist family. Bashkim Zeneli notes that the meetings held recently have helped clarify misunderstandings, present the positions of PSSH and create a new climate of trust. He stresses that PSSH is moving away from every rigid ideological conception and is building its profile as a democratic, reformist and modern socialist force. When asked about relations with sister parties, he states that their support does not come from sentimentality, but from a realistic assessment of the transformations taking place in Albania. According to him, rapprochement with the European left requires not only declarations, but also concrete reforms, a new political culture and respect for the rules of democracy. “The socialist view is drawing ever closer as a force of the European left,” he says, emphasizing that this is a process that takes time, but one that has now entered a one-way path. (To be continued on page 4)