By Ben Andoni
For several weeks now, a group of people within the Democratic Party has been seeking to reform this political formation through a Movement which, it must be said, has a fairly sound approach. Wherever he goes, Salianji and his entourage generate enthusiasm among PD Democrats.
The action shows that they desire change with their entire being, while more than a decade in opposition has left them weary and diminished. It is self-evident that the Center does not “take seriously” this action in the form of a movement modeled after the “Foltore.” Mr. Berisha, when asked about the Foltore and Salianji as a candidate, has repeated that Salianji has self-excluded. Others follow the same logic, invoking rules and the party statute.
This new schism within the PD is revealing Salianji not only as ambitious, but also highly calculated in his movements on the ground. By representing the youth, he is channeling a momentum that will be difficult for “SHQUP” to manage. While those comfortable and close to Berisha have neglected it and project a message of feigned indifference, there is an ever-growing current among Democrats that seeks a genuine catharsis. The most recent roundtable showed this quite openly, even though true Democrats still have not fully awakened. They are instead expanding the gray zone.
First, because this movement represented by Salianji does not clearly reveal who among the well-known PD figures truly supports it and who is ready to sacrifice. And second—perhaps this should have been first—this Movement lacks a document in the form of a public manifesto outlining its objectives, as well as a description of the current reality of the PD.
It is true that a party which has gone through two general elections without conducting serious analysis cannot proceed with actions that are genuinely logical and statutory. In this context, we recall that Alimehmeti, who was among the first to speak openly and stand by Salianji, now appears peripheral, while other names are invisible. A movement cannot be represented by just one person, although such a figure can indeed be its rhetorical voice. Albanians in politics want to see who leads it and who surrounds him—those capable of generating momentum—and how trustworthy they are.
Nevertheless, even with this handicap, grassroots Democrats—long marginalized in practice—welcome them. Both the “Salianji” Foltore and the “Berisha” Foltore. Now the battle is being fought with participation numbers, not with numbers of personalities capable of advancing such ideas. As for a representative document, it serves as the deed of ownership of a movement. A manifesto mobilizes, obliges, and above all inspires. If this Movement continues in this way, it will remain merely a schism that sooner or later will be struck down by its own ego.
Spinoza, in another time and space of thought, explained schism through a different lens, yet one that fits today’s political logic— including that of Albanian politics these days: “Schisms do not arise from love of truth, which is a source of civility and gentleness, but rather from an excessive desire for supremacy.” (Javanews)