RTVSH, led by Bushepa, is determined to violate state laws Read on pages 1-2 the material about the distressing scenes of the RTV director general in the People’s Assembly RTVSH, led by Bushepa, is determined to violate state laws REVANCHISM FERTILIZED BY CENSORSHIP, BREEDS DICTATORSHIP - Read on pages 1-2 the material about the distressing scenes of the RTV director general in the People’s Assembly -

The democratization process, linked as everywhere to the removal of taboos and rigid schemes, is finding a distinctive expression today in Albania. Citizens, especially intellectuals, openly express serious reservations about the abusive rule of people in power. In addition to the harshness of officials’ language and the personalization of debates, Albanian public life is also witnessing more serious forms of arbitrary administration. In yesterday’s issue of "Koha jonë", in the readers’ letters section, a protest by a group of professors from the University of Tirana was published concerning the dismissal of Professor Alfred Uçi for political reasons. Such a case, affecting a well-known figure in philosophical and aesthetic thought in the country, shows that the climate of intolerance toward critical thought is not an accident, but a method. The content of the protest, grounded in professional and civic arguments, strongly raises a fair question: can a democratic order be built by striking at intellectual thought, by excluding from institutions people with recognized contributions, simply because they do not agree with the political line of the government? Instead of pluralism guaranteeing freedom of expression and the coexistence of convictions, the administration is often being used as an instrument of pressure. This not only harms the individual, but diminishes the prestige of educational and scientific institutions and undermines democratic culture itself. If the university, as a center of knowledge and free debate, cannot defend the right to dissenting thought, then the academic climate risks being replaced by submission and fear. That would be a loss for society as a whole. We join the concerns raised by the professors and believe that any such decision should be reconsidered with high public responsibility. Democracy is not strengthened by political revenge against intellectuals, but by respecting the law, merit, and human dignity.

A lyrical allegory A devil with a murky biography, who calls himself the forerunner of democracy, is making us laugh and cry. As soon as a root grows a few leaves, he tells the forest that without him there is no life. He has taken on the pose of a prophet and issues orders from the television podium, as if he himself were the state, the law, and morality. It is not hard to understand that behind the great noise lies a small thirst for power. It is the mania of the provincial boss who confuses his signature with history. Since his name once appeared in the newspaper, he thinks the nation owes him eternal gratitude. But in democracy there is no boss of bosses. There are citizens, institutions, law, and accountability. Whoever places himself above them, even with a rush of fiery rhetoric, ends up with nothing but his own shadow. We do not need new idols, but people of reason and work. Whoever takes the people for a crowd of admirers is gravely mistaken. The people see, judge, and in the end decide.

What happens in Tirana’s market A bleak panorama of everyday life in the capital is unfolding in the markets, where people’s hardships mingle with the inability of the authorities to guarantee safety. Traders complain that they are robbed, threatened, and forced to pay bribes to secure a small place to stand. The police, meanwhile, appear at times as a helpless arbiter, at times as part of the chaos. Amid the disorder of the stalls, thieves operate with astonishing skill. Pickpocketing, disappearing goods, and daily conflicts have become a regular part of the market. Citizens feel unprotected, while traders say they are working in fear and uncertainty. Instead of order, improvisation prevails. Conditions are lacking, administration is lacking, fair control is lacking. In this environment, the market is no longer a place of honest exchange, but a space where everyone tries to survive. Without concrete measures and without a police force that wins the public’s trust, the situation risks getting worse. Tirana’s market is a mirror of a broader social problem: the absence of the state in everyday life.

In dramatic Albania, where the new rich emerge from the haze of transition with astonishing speed, the question of the source of wealth becomes increasingly sharp. Some have become owners overnight, others appear with cars, villas, and businesses without offering any convincing explanation for the path they took. In this upside-down order, honest work moves slowly, while quick money leaps over every obstacle. This creates not only severe inequality, but also a mistaken model of success for the younger generation. Often behind the façade of enterprise lie clientelist ties, political favors, monopolies, and violations of the law. The weaker the state, the faster the rush of money. And when institutions remain silent, society learns to accept as normal what is in fact a deep moral and economic distortion. A country that does not ask how the new rich became rich risks losing its sense of justice. Democracy cannot be based on the worship of money without origin.

So-called "democracy" the national television continues stubbornly with a practice that has nothing in common with public media standards. Instead of reflecting political life impartially, TVSH is clearly showing bias and a tendency to sideline or distort voices that do not please those in power. The latest case concerns the President of the Republic, whose words, according to complaints, were censored or cut from the broadcast. If this is true, then we are dealing with a serious institutional and moral scandal. A television that behaves like a propaganda office cannot be called a national media outlet. Taxpayers do not fund it to hear only one version of the truth. Censorship does not become more acceptable just because it is packaged as "editorial policy." Society has the right to know what was said and what was removed from the screen. Only transparency can save public media from the final loss of trust.

TVSH’s health has been left in a miserable state by a series of professional distortions that are taking it further and further away from its public mission every day. There are numerous complaints about distorted news, one-sided selection of reports, and selective treatment of political figures. In today’s environment, where the public needs reliable information, the lack of professional ethics is a serious wound. A public television station cannot behave like the tribune of a group, nor manipulate events according to the interests of the day. The question is simple: is there still a moral line that must not be crossed? If so, it must be restored immediately; otherwise, the damage to public information becomes irreversible.

A text denouncing the mixing of political interest with institutional work, pointing out that party bias is being used as a filter for appointments, exclusions, and unequal treatment. When the administration is placed at the service of one force, the law fades and the citizen is left defenseless before arbitrariness. The state cannot function as the property of temporary winners. It must rest on professionalism, impartiality, and respect for the rules. Closing this wound requires political will and civic response.

RISH - PATRIARCHAL INSTITUTION LUAN HADARAGA