Excerpts from the speech by comrade Fatos Nano at the first Conference of the Socialist Party of the Korçë district In the first year of Albanian political pluralism, alongside the forces of the right and especially the Democratic Party, the political left has also crystallized and developed, organized in the Socialist Party of Albania. It emerged at a time when Albania was moving from a dramatic past toward the future and when working people and broad popular strata were experiencing insecurity, fear, upheaval, wavering, and major economic and social difficulties. The Socialist Party is not a return to the past. It is the expression of the need for a balanced democratic alternative, for a necessary equilibrium in Albanian political life, for the protection of the interests of labor, of ordinary citizens, and of those strata most vulnerable to the shocks of the transition. We believe that democracy cannot be built on political revenge, on artificial divisions, on demagoguery, or on unkept promises. Democracy requires stable institutions, genuine pluralism, a culture of dialogue, and respect for the political opponent. In this sense, the Socialist Party represents a serious, responsible, and realistic alternative. At a time when economic difficulties are numerous, when production has fallen, when unemployment is increasing, when market supply remains uncertain, and when the countryside and the cities feel the burden of a prolonged transition, it is essential to offer considered solutions, not political adventures. Albania needs balanced development, social peace, measured reforms, and broad civic participation. The Socialist Party addresses workers, peasants, intellectuals, youth, and women; it addresses all those who seek democratic order, social security, the rule of law, and social justice. We believe that without these elements there can be no successful Albanian path toward Europe. Our alternative is one of democratic reform, private property, and a market economy, but linked to social responsibility and to the state's duty not to abandon the citizen. We cannot accept poverty, insecurity, and inequality becoming the new norms of Albanian life. Within this framework, we have the duty to organize ourselves better, to be closer to the people, to listen to their concerns, and to build programs grounded in reality. The Party must enter into close and direct contact with the people, because its program is not merely political but deeply human: the defense of the interests of the unprotected. The first Conference of the Socialist Party of the Korçë district shows that this political force is consolidating and assuming responsibility for becoming a factor of stability, modernization, and democratic progress in the country.