Elections are held to offer solutions. May 11th missed this chance.

Afrim Krasniqi

The voting ended confirming the gap in the polls - the majority won its fourth term and, paradoxically, with more terms than all previous terms.

Statistically, there is no surprise - the PS has almost the same number of votes as in the three previous elections, having a mobility level of its patronage structure at levels of 95%-98%, but there is an increase in the number of mandates because the votes for the PD+LSI have significantly decreased compared to the previous elections.

The level of mobility in the opposition varies between 55%-60%, insufficient to ensure the participation in the vote even of its historical voters, and of course, impossible to win the votes of the undecided part, not supporting the government. The alliance with the LSI (PL) did not work, most of its clientelistic votes returned to the PS or passed to the PSD, while the neutral voters chose the new parties.

Of course, the SP created a system of patronage that unites the party, the state, the oligarchy, the informality and the "strong", an illegal practice that the SP tested again in 2017 and 2021. In every case of the same reference in the democratic world, oppositions have succeeded when they reform, inspire with ideas, open up to qualitative inputs and fight with moral cards, four qualities that the PD+ arrogantly rejected.

Elections are held to offer solutions. May 11th missed this chance. Those who were there confirmed themselves and the loyalists. Innovations are minimal and not decisive. Four times a party has had over 80 mandates, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1997, only in one case did they produce reforms and progress (1992), when de facto it was not a party vote, but a vote for a change in the system.

The continuation is known: the majority will enjoy untroubled supremacy, we will have a significant weakening of parliamentary life, of checks and balances of powers, of the role of independent institutions and, of course, a free fall of the standards of functional democracy and the rule of law. The opposition? Look at Tirana's closed list and we understand what it will be like, the opposition that every government would like to have. We will have protests, contestations, shows, new agreements, new towers, but no resignations or accountability.

Justice will investigate some unfortunate cases of individuals who were forced to photograph the vote, but not those who ordered the photographing of the vote, nor the corrupt system, which, to quote the opposition of 2009-2012, “steals Albania to steal votes and then steals votes to steal Albania.” They did not change this corrupt system, they simply perfected it.

When democracy deviates, populism takes over, militants control power and moderate ideas are rejected, it is the duty and responsibility of the minority - voices with integrity - to speak, act and react more, to reject the status quo & the corrupt political establishment and to nurture as much knowledge, culture and hope as possible in the country where from Kalimash, Q.Murrizit, Elbasan and all the way to Llogara, the same meaningful and consensual slogan "welcome to the tunnel" is found.