Albanian Eurosocialist Youth at the second Congress

Message from the chairman of the PSSH, Fatos Nano, addressed to the 2nd Congress of FRESSH With extraordinary enthusiasm, with faith in the abilities and energies of our youth, we are experiencing the Second Congress of FRESSH. To the 600 delegates and 3,000 guests from all over Albania, the comrades of the past three years, the participants in this major political event, the foreign representatives, the friends and supporters of FRESSH, I wish to extend my most heartfelt greetings and my sincerest wishes for good and successful work. Also present in the hall today are our foreign friends, who honor us with their participation in our congress. On this occasion, we express our respect and gratitude to the Socialist International and its partner organizations, which, with their solidarity and continued support, have helped in the growth and strengthening of FRESSH. Dear comrades, Since I am convinced that this congress will live up to its political and organizational mission, I would like to focus not so much on the balance sheet of FRESSH’s activities behind us, but rather on some guidelines for the future. This is not the first time that we have expressed our conviction that the fate of a country, the fate of a people, depends to a considerable extent on the role, place, and contribution of youth. However, not everyone understands this simple postulate correctly, not always and not at all times. There have been and still are political and governmental forces that view young people as a second-rate force, as electoral decoration, as a reservoir of enthusiasm to be exploited for the moment and then set aside. On the contrary, we have believed and still believe that youth is a living part of society, that it must be a real participant in decision-making and in political life. For precisely this reason, the Socialist Party of Albania has regarded FRESSH not merely as a youth organization close to it, but as a political partner with its own identity, ideas, voice, and the right to influence the shaping of its policies. Over the last three years, FRESSH has been one of the most active organizations in the country. It has managed to bring together students, school pupils, young workers, intellectuals, the unemployed, young people from the city and the countryside, turning itself into a broad social and political movement. Through numerous activities, open debates, civic courage, and a democratic spirit, FRESSH has won the respect of public opinion and has become an important factor in Albanian political life. We must be realistic. Albania is going through a difficult period of economic, social, and institutional transformation. Inherited crises, deep distortions in the administration, unemployment, poverty, corruption, the lack of the rule of law, and citizen insecurity—all of these make the path of reforms more complicated. But precisely in these conditions the need for youth energy, courage, and honesty becomes clearer. FRESSH must continue to be the voice of civic protest against injustice, against arbitrariness, against every attempt to suppress freedom of speech, thought, and organization. It must also be the voice of proposals, of alternatives, of modernization. Socialist young people cannot be satisfied with the role of spectators; they must be protagonists of change. Albania needs a new political class, cultured, European, honest, and professional. This class is not born on its own; it is prepared, formed, and tested in organizations like FRESSH. That is why this congress has a special importance: it is not simply a periodic meeting, but an important station in the formation of the country’s new democratic elite. You must preserve the critical spirit, independence of thought, and connection with people’s real problems. Do not isolate yourselves in meeting halls, but go to the students, the unemployed, the young people of the neighborhoods, the villages, the factories, and the universities. Listen to their voices, represent their concerns, articulate their hopes. Today, more than ever, Albania’s future is linked to our ability to build democratic institutions, guarantee free and fair elections, protect human rights, and open the country toward Europe. On this path, FRESSH has had and will have a special role. I believe that your Second Congress will produce new ideas, new energies, new leaders, and wise decisions. I believe that you will know how to be both critical and constructive, idealistic and realistic, determined and responsible. Once again wishing you success in the congress proceedings, I greet you warmly and express my conviction that FRESSH will remain one of the most beautiful hopes of the democratic left and of Albania’s European future. (Continues on page 3)

Report on behalf of FRESSH on development by the chairman of the forum PANDELI MAJKO Dear comrades, Despite the contribution of FRESSH, so important in the general climate of political debate and left-wing organization in Albania, one question always stirs our minds: what is happening to the new Albania, to the youth who seek their future, to the hopes and disappointments of this generation? Albania is facing numerous problems. Instead of democratic institutions being strengthened, we often see them weakened. Instead of support for education, culture, and youth employment, we see rising insecurity, emigration, and poverty. Instead of politics becoming a public service, it is often used as a tool of pressure and privilege. In this reality, FRESSH has chosen not to remain silent. It has chosen to be an open, critical, participatory, and reforming organization. It has spoken about school problems, youth unemployment, the lack of prospects, the need for the rule of law and for an economy that creates opportunities. We are not a forum for applause, but a forum for ideas and action. We have organized debates, meetings, initiatives; we have stood close to students, close to young people in the districts, close to the concrete problems of Albanian society. We have sometimes made mistakes, we have been insufficient at other times, but we have never stopped seeking a fairer and more modern path for Albania. Youth does not wait for empty promises. It seeks real spaces of freedom, dignity, and participation. It demands that its voice be heard, that its vote be respected, that its talent not be disregarded. It demands that Albania not remain hostage to conflict, backwardness, and manipulation. FRESSH is, and must remain, a political school of democracy. We must educate young people in the culture of dialogue, civic responsibility, public ethics, and the spirit of solidarity. That is our way of serving the country. Today our task is twofold: to defend left-wing values in a time of pressure and distortion and, at the same time, to defend democratic standards without which no emancipatory project can have a future. We must be critical when the government errs, but also persuasive when we propose alternatives. FRESSH cannot remain closed in on itself. It must build relations with youth organizations in Europe, with progressive movements, with student forums, with civil society. Only in this way will we enrich our horizon and strengthen our European identity. This congress is a moment of reflection and decision-making. It must seriously analyze the work done, the weaknesses we have, the structures that must be rebuilt, the contacts that must be expanded, and the directions where our energy must be focused. We all have a responsibility to ensure that FRESSH is not merely the name of an organization, but a real social and political force, present in the life of the country. This requires more grassroots work, more organization, more transparency, and more political preparation. We believe that Albania can succeed. But that does not happen with slogans; it happens with institutions, with knowledge, with social justice, and with active citizenship. In this sense, FRESSH has a great mission. Let us make this congress a new starting point. Let us leave it clearer in ideas, stronger in organization, and more determined in our commitment to freedom, justice, and Europe. (Continues on page 3)

On behalf of the Austrian Social Democratic Youth, I send you my most sincere greetings for the successful conduct of your second congress. I value the role that FRESSH plays in consolidating democracy, in defending the rights of young people, and in bringing Albania closer to the European family of social democracy. We are convinced that cooperation between our organizations will expand further and will serve the exchange of experience, the strengthening of solidarity, and mutual support in international forums. I wish you a fruitful congress, wise decisions, and continued success in your political and social activities. (Continues on page 3)

Shkodër Successful police operation Two wanted persons are arrested in Vlorë. Based on reliable information that reached the police station in Shkodër about the whereabouts of two persons wanted for theft and of a third person who was with them, a special police group was immediately organized. After careful surveillance, the police intervened and managed to arrest the citizens A. M. and D. O., who were wanted by the relevant authorities, as well as another person who was with them. According to official sources, various items and documents were found during the search and are being verified. Investigative actions continue. (Continues on page 3)

The decision of the Court of First Instance not to recognize him as a "defendant" is rejected as unlawful. (Continues on page 3)

Malësi e Madhe The number of houses is missing to form the court panel From today one of the five arrested judges will testify. (Continues on page 3)

ALBANIAN EUROSOCIALISTS!