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SUMMARY
OF AN ARTICLE SENT TO US BY PIRO
MISHA, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ALBANIA INTELLECTUALS. |
THE
SYMBOL OF THE RINIA PARK
It was clear to everyone that this was not just a common operation
at the beginning of April when the construction police started
throwing down 106 illegitimate buildings in the Rinia park
.. for the majority of the Albania people the buildings against
the law in this park built between 1991 and 1997 were a symbol
of their wrong interpretation of capitalism and market economy,
that is to say, that deformation which had made them think
that capitalism was a game without many rules, in which it
was important to become rich as fast as possible, no matter
how (independently from the method followed).
Moreover
the park has had a reputation as a centre of crime and drugs,
where the State could not intervene. In a country like Albania
symbols are very important therefore the throwing down of
the illegal buildings in the park, on the eve of the political
elections of 2001 meant that the State was present showing
its willingness to combat the violation of laws and able to
carry out operations of this importance.
What is even more important is that such operations, being
undertaken recently even in other parts of the country, have
the support of the majority of the population.
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Rinia
Park
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| THE
REBIRTH OF ALBANIA
Today, in the Albania society, there are clear signs of renovation,
even four years ago it seemed to have reached the limit of
social division. Evidently much still must be done to change.
In any case, one thing is sure, if Albania is today a safer
country and is slowly improving economically and psychologically,
if the State and its institutions are relatively strong, if
Albania is a stabilizing factor in the whole region instead
of being a destabilizing one (as the recent crisis in Macedonia
or the diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia show) merit for
all those goes without doubt to Italy also.
Ethem Bey Mosque (Tirana)
Mosque Interior
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RELATIONS
WITH ITALY
In fact, for the Albania people, Italy is a historical
preference point. On the other hand for the Italian people
Albania is a problem that cannot be avoided, in most cases
the Italian policy changes with the Albanian crisis of
1997, with the ALBA operations with which Italy takes
on a supervisory role in the European military force.
The dramatic crisis in 1997 in which the State and its
institutions fell apart, where the Albanian society found
itself at the limit of a catastrophe, obliged Italy in
a certain manner to review its policy towards Albania
(with Italy, the West too). If Albania were to collapse,
this would have unforeseen consequence on the whole Balkan
area as well as on Italy. On
the whole, a positive opinion of the Italian policy
towards Albania dominates in Tirana. Everyone recognizes
Italy as Albania’s main partner. In fact, 45%
of the commercial exchanges taking place in Albania
are done with Italy. The principal priority of Italian
policy in Albania is stability, reached across the institutions,
consolidation, the economic development and its integration
into the rules of European peaceful living. From this
point of view, Albania has the same interests. These
new circumstances are felt in an issue for which Italians
are very sensitive, like the war against crime. The
Albanians are understanding that Albania criminality
cannot be fought alone with repressive measures without
a growth in the capacity of the Albania police forces.
Tirana recognizes the support that Italy is offering
for the beginning of negotiations with the European
Commission. The same can be said for cooperation in
the military field; the objective is to reinforce the
army in order to help it in approaching the NATO system.
In general, the same philosophy characterises the economic
collaboration which is concentrating more development
on such objectives as the infrastructures, transports,
waterworks (reconstruction of water network of Tirana),
the energy system, health, etc. |
THE
MISUNDERSTANDINGS WHICH REMAIN
However if the interstate relations today are experiencing
one of the best moments there are still many problems and
misunderstandings between the two countries starting from
the problems of emigration, criminality, etc.
The
Albanians, on their part, complain that the image of .Albania
in Italy does not correspond to reality. According to them,
Albania, even with all the problems it has, is a much more
complex country than the clichés that we can have in
Italy based on which Albanians are nothing but poor people,
stowaways and criminals. The Albanian intellectuals complain
that the Italian cultural world and the civil society show
a mental closure, that they continue to show little interest
in knowing and understanding the reality of a little country
on the Adriatic coast. For example, the works of a famous
Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare enter Italy through the French
boundary, translated into French.
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| ALBANIA
TODAY
In 1991 Albania came out of a long period of isolation. In
1991 there is a sudden opening towards a very rich world.
In a certain way the same image that the Albanians had of
itself fell apart. There is no doubt that the Albania crisis
was political, economical and social, but at the same time
it was an identification crisis of the system of values.
The Albanian society is experiencing at the same time a cultural
transition and a demographic transformation which depends
on an important internal movement of the population from the
poor mountains (above all from the boundary with Kosovo) towards
the country and the principal cities.
In 1991, 64% of all Albanians lived in the country therefore
it is understandable that for ten years the country has been
living a process of urbanisation followed by the birth of
marginal groups which transform into origins of high social
tension, at the same time being principal sources of emigration
and criminality. The country is living the transition of identity.
In order to understand this phenomenon, Tirana is a good example;
its population grew from about 250,000 inhabitants in 1991
to 700,000 nowadays.
PERIOD
1991 – 1997
In the period that goes from 1991-1007 the illusion was created
that a jump from primitive communism to a post-capitalist
society was being made. Today, in fact, Albania can consider
itself not only a product of the experiment of authentic communism
but also of the experiment of neo-liberalism which had dramatic
consequences in the Albanian contest. The 1997 crisis (following
the fall of the financial “Pyramids” which almost
caused a civil war n.d.r.) showed how fragile the principles
on which they were to build modern society and democratic
institutions were. Albania came out of isolation when Yugoslavia
started decomposing. Consequently it strongly felt the results
of the breaking down of the geopolitical balance in the Balkans,
but in particular the destabilising weight of the war in Yugoslavia
and the crisis in Kosovo.
Just
to say one of the economic consequences of the war in ex-Yugoslavia,
the interruption of the last land and railway means of communication
which connected Albania to the rest of Europe. As a result
the only way remaining was that across Italy. But, without
doubt, one of the most serious results of the war in ex-Yugoslavia
was the transformation of Albania in a transit for international
illegal trading. The war in Yugoslavia caused the interruption
of the traditional roads for international illegal dealings
which had passed through those lands up until that moment,
criminal organisations had to find alternative roads. In fact,
even before 1991, 70%-80% of the heroin that had been confiscated
by the police in Western Europe passed through the Balkans.
From 1994 heroin coming from Turkey started passing more often
through Albania.
The
international drug and human being pushers understood immediately
that the passage through Albania did not present many problems,
therefore they immediately found Albanian partners. In fact,
Albania is the last stage of illegal dealings involving many
States. Crime today is trans-national and as such each country
assumes its own responsibility.
IMPORTANT
RESULTS AGAINST CRIME
In recent times, in Albania, important steps have been taken
in the war against crime with the result of a notable decrease
in crime. The truth is that in Albania there is a greater
engagement in the war against crime and at the same time the
police has become more efficient thanks to international support
and in particular to that of the Italian police: but first
of all the merit goes to the increase of internal stability
and the strengthening of the social context in the country.
Among the many insecure factors that favoured the destabilisation
and the anarchy before, either they do not exist or are now
minimal. At the same time we must say that the poverty and
unemployment levels are still worrying. Until the economical
growth will not create job positions there will always be
people that undertake the road towards the sea in the search
for a better destiny. As there will continue to exist a tie
between emigration and criminality for the time there will
be stowaways. There are no doubts that the major part of those
who cross the sea by boat are common people searching for
hope, the situation of illegal travellers easily brings them
to the road of crime.
COMMON
OBJECTIVES
A stabilised Albania, economically developed with consolidated
institutions is not only in the interest of Albania but also
of Italy. On her road towards European integration, Albania
will still need Italy’s help for a long time.
The Albanians would prefer that Albania not be used in the
internal Italian political games as has often happened in
the past, they ask to close situations for which the left
or the right look for alliances with their relative group
in Albania, without knowing that in post-communist Albania
the right or the left often happens more than ideological
reality are instant creatures in a limitation process of the
West to find support or legitimacy.
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Monument
in Tirana
Clock's
Tower (1830)
Boulevard
Martyr of Nation
Albanian
Seaside
Piramid
- Hoxha Mausoleum
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Italy
is Albania’s principal economical-commercial partner
and the Albanians would like Italy to undertake long term
investments which create job positions and aid in the stability
of the country. Today there are 550 Italian companies, an
increasing number since 1999. One of the reasons for this
limited presence is due to the image of Albania that exists
in Italy, an image which the Albanians but also the Italians
living in Albania do not share (they judge it to be unrealistic)
which does not render the development dynamics which has taken
place in the country. This image currently creates a penalizing
factor in the relationship between the two countries.
THE
NEW ITALIAN ENGAGEMENT
What can be done? An interesting initiative was undertaken
by the Italian Embassy in Tirana recently. The initiative,
named: “This unknown Albania” has as its objective
to establish a dialogue between the intellectual and cultural
Albanian world with the institutions and the Italian cultural
personalities through the organisation of debates regarding
common questions. Unfortunately, till now, Italy has a small
engagement in instruction and culture and this creates a great
defeat towards becoming closer to Albania. The Institute for
Italian Culture is currently more present with important cultural
events like the concert season. Just remember that in a country
where the majority at least understands Italian, there are
Turkish, Greek, American Maltese schools but there is no Italian
school.
After all we have said, above all something can be confirmed
with certainty: among the thousand and one contradictions
and difficulties, Albania seems to be slowly but surely finding
the road towards the future and this means that Italian support
has not been lost.
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