By Ben Andoni
There is no more exhausting year for ordinary Albanians than when general elections take place, much like the same happens with local elections. However, this year’s elections are even more grueling due to the massive engagement of the two main parties, both inside and outside the country, the smaller parties that follow them, and the new political groups now facing their baptism of fire in real politics.
While the Democratic Party’s candidate list no longer holds any “surprises,” with satellite leaders already on the list and the media reporting on favors made at the expense of party members and activists, the Socialist Party appears more at ease, as its satellites remain nearly unidentifiable. The real difference is made by the smaller players who are experiencing their first real political battle—among them, the veterans Shehi and Alibeaj, struggling to find their place in Albania’s absurd political theater.
While politicians are fixated on their lists—essentially their real identification in terms of effort and engagement—for the general public, this entire process is an exhausting ordeal. The pressure from party informants, the effort required to attend Berisha’s rallies—formless events where everyone repeats and obeys his words—the looming uncertainty of a potential power shift that could lead to mass layoffs in the administration, the insecurity stemming from crime, and the general decline in every aspect of life.
This absurd theater repeats every four years, with the same actors, while people’s concerns only grow, deepening the insecurity about the country we live in. The only “relief” is the news from SPAK, which, at the end of the day, sends shivers down your spine over the sheer scale of corruption in our country. Albania has lost its compass for normal development, and you see this most clearly during elections—not as a peaceful time for confrontation and choice but as a fearful anticipation of changing the stage props in this absurd theater, which is so painful for many people.
Yet, the wife of dictator Marcos, Imelda, had a better idea in her time—one that perfectly fits the authors of our own absurd theater:
“Whether we win or lose, after the elections, we’ll go shopping.”