Our slogan will be: transition and consolidation of the market economy with the minimum of social damage. Any move toward the market economy that brings serious social and political upheaval will be considered by the PPSH unacceptable and harmful to the people and the country.

A NEW PARTY, A NEW MISSION Today, before my eyes and before those of many other Albanians, stands the bright and unforgettable figure of that wise and far-sighted man, the ideologue, thinker, writer, diplomat and statesman, Ismail Qemali. The man who, 80 years ago, opened for Albanians the path of free thought, democratic rights and European civilization. This was the road to the independent Albanian state. Today, when our country needs just as much wisdom and farsightedness, just as much prudence and responsibility, we Albanians, with a painful and sacrifice-filled experience, are called upon to rebuild the democratic and social state, to shape free economic development, to build the mechanisms of pluralist democracy and to create guarantees for the protection of vulnerable groups. For a long time, the word socialism was tarnished, misused and identified with dictatorship, arbitrariness and impoverishment. But true socialism is not that. It is the protection of work, human dignity, equal opportunity, solidarity and a state that serves people. This is precisely the new mission that the Socialist Party of Albania seeks to take on. We are not entering this congress with empty illusions, but with the conviction that the country needs a responsible opposition, a modern left-wing force, and a realistic program for development, employment, order and justice. If Albanians expect empty words from us, they will be disappointed. If they expect seriousness, honesty and courage to defend the interests of the people, then they will have us at their side. Our task is to defend the disadvantaged, workers, peasants, pensioners, honest intellectuals, women and young people who seek a normal future in their own country. The market economy cannot be built on social ruin. The transition must be carried out with the minimum of social damage and the maximum of public responsibility. This is our socialist alternative: reform yes, but not destruction; free market yes, but not without the state; pluralism yes, but not anarchy; development yes, but not on the misery of the majority. Albania needs stability, serious institutions and an opposition that knows how to challenge and propose. In this sense, the new congress of the PPSH is not merely an organizational event. It is an effort toward a new political identity, a new relationship with the citizen and a new way of doing politics. That is precisely where our new mission lies. (Continues on p. 5)

WITH THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION A day marked by the anxiety of a great political novelty and by the responsibility of a force seeking to be reborn on the basis of a new program. Delegates, supporters and observers expect this forum to mark an important turning point in Albanian political life. The first Congress of the Socialist Party is seen as a moment of reflection, a break with the past and the affirmation of a new platform for the future. In the preliminary discussions, in the corridors and in quiet conversations, one key word stands out: the nation. Politics can no longer be a stage for exclusion, revenge and narrow gain. It must return to serving the national interest, stability and progress. It is precisely this spirit that seems to accompany the delegates on the eve of the opening of the proceedings. (Continues on p. 5)

For several days now, the entire weight of economic stagnation, misguided reforms and lack of social care has been concentrated in a hot industrial center, Poliçan. There, the workers have risen up in protest and gone on strike, demanding not only wages but also security for their jobs and for their families' future. But who brought about this situation? Who pushed them toward such a strong protest? Was it only poverty or also the lack of dialogue, clarity and state responsibility? There are many questions, and the answers require transparency. In Poliçan, people are not protesting only for their daily bread. They are also protesting against a wounded dignity, broken promises and the feeling that industry is being left to fade into oblivion. The workers want to be heard, not labeled. If the strike is being used by someone for political purposes, that must be said openly. But it must be said just as openly that when the state delays solving problems, anger builds up and erupts. In that sense, the question in the title is more than an accusation: it is a demand for accountability. (Continues on p. 5)

We highlight from his statements - 10,000 foreign students will attend studies for a period of two years (power of subjects) at colleges in the USA. - It has come to the point where our government must deal with closed-country banks, capital. - We want to break away from the past as a person breaks from chains. You will give us wherever we may borrow it. - Tirana is the most beautiful capital in the Balkans. So that the apparatus can go to its office under the current government, in front of the machine there are two people with automatic rifles. - What makes Albania safer for the future is its human strength and its trust in its friends. (Continues on p. 4)

One year of life - one year of trial The display of social groups before the forum for the distorted legal and political causes, places over the governments, these must be clear to today's power holders. One year of life and of a complex process has been enough to prove that the alternative of a modern left-wing party is necessary for Albania. Many of those who once looked on the socialist rebirth with skepticism now admit that it has become an important factor in political balance. In a society tired of empty promises, endless conflicts and economic insecurity, time itself is bringing to light the need for a serious opposition. The Socialist Party, despite all its difficulties and heavy legacies, is gaining ground because it speaks about people's real problems. Its hope does not lie in propaganda, but in the ability to become the voice of the unprotected and to present a convincing project for the state, the law and the economy. In this sense, time is working for the Socialist Party. (Continues on p. 5)

M.A.M. NEWS