By Ben Andoni
For the opposition, the path is set: to deny the moral validity of the general elections of May 2025 and to denounce their legitimacy by any means necessary. Yet, the participation of the Democrats in parliament will undermine their own moral crusade, especially when faced with the new Socialist lawmakers—who will likely be a class of loyalists, obedient to Chairman Rama.
For the Socialists, this mandate will be baroque in style: full of grand talk about integration, European modalities, and Albania’s bright future as an integrated country, all while contending with the looming challenges of global conflicts.
A handful of right-wingers who made it through the Open Lists may find a voice, perhaps even rise above party lines for certain causes. As for the Left, it’s well understood—they will present little more than an extension of their leader, offering nothing new. The “modesty” of the new parliamentarians is, in truth, a window into their submission. And the proof? It’s already on display in their debates and so-called integrity. “In people of limited ability, modesty is merely honesty. But in those with great talent, it is hypocrisy,” wrote Arthur Schopenhauer.
So, why the political play with modesty? It serves as a tool to project authenticity—to suggest that only these politicians are in touch with the truth, and thus worthy of trust. This performance has led to a stage filled with individuals who produce nothing but noise and loyalty to Berisha, now representing the Democratic Party—just as an anonymous mass with no political history is set to represent the Socialist Party, i.e., a leadership without roots.
The modesty in representation has become the greatest irony of all, in a political class that, incapable of delivering change, now sells modesty as a virtue. The open list system allowed many individuals in, some of whom have already revealed their claws, now leveling accusations and making demands—demonstrating that modesty is of little use when you are simply being yourself, as many politicians have been post-election. But for the more sophisticated among them, modesty becomes a hypocritical instrument—something our political scene is all too familiar with.
Evidence of this can be seen in the infighting within party ranks and, more broadly, in the stagnation of our national development. Worse still, this hypocrisy extends to our international relations and the way we engage with the wider world. Our politicians have failed to imbue the state with dignity, just as they have failed to honestly tell Albanians that our alliances and European integration carry social costs and great responsibilities—it is not a cheap entertainment show.
The “modesty” with which politicians paint our future today exposes the deep hypocrisy we’re living in, with our political class as its undeniable protagonist.