What should be done? It is a time of realignment and regrouping, that is, an ideal moment for the ideological definition of parties. Without a set of values and the same political principles, long-term coalitions cannot be formed. Only concrete political interest not only brings about the rapid disintegration of coalitions, but simultaneously promotes political clientelism and shrinks the number of voters.
Author: Xhelal Neziri
Since the rotation of power in 2017, when SDSM took the mandate to form the Government after 10 years spent in opposition, the white baroque palace on the street “Ilindenska p.n.” in Skopje is very similar to the “Big Brother” house. Not in terms of form or furnishings, but in terms of operation.
The partners of the governing coalition come in and out just like the residents of the most famous “reality show” house in our public opinion. Intrigues, backstories, scenarios, clans and ambiguities have created dramatics that have kept the viewer/listener/reader hooked.
Let’s go in turn. In 2017, the government was formed that was voted by 62 deputies, as many as the partner parties in power – SDSM, DUI, ASH. A year later, AA(Alliance for Albanians), which had three MPs, left the government and Alternativa came to power instead. This party had just been formed, after an internal split in the BESA Movement, which appeared on the scene in 2015.
Less than two years passed, Alternativa remained outside the government, while the BESA Movement became part of it. She had formed a pre-election coalition with SDSM, which brought her a satisfactory result, even winning four deputies.
From the 2020 elections, SDSM with 46 and DUI with 15 MPs gained reach the basic parliamentary majority, with which the Government is voted, but the Parliament does not function. Part of this government was also the DPA with one deputy.
A year later, changes again: BESA left the government, Alternative returned instead. BESA came out with three deputies after one had already been taken from SDSM from the joint list of parliamentary elections, after the election of Bilall Kasami as the mayor of Tetova municipality. Alternative entered with 4 MPs, as many as it had in the joint list with ASH, with which they competed together in the last parliamentary elections. BESA wanted to overthrow the government by collaborating with VMRO-DPMNE and AA, Alternative saved it. Kastriot Rexhepi, deputy of BESA, also came to the rescue, who at the last moment voted in favor of the government.
After these maneuvers, the new parliamentary majority numbered 64 deputies: 44 from SDSM, 15 from DUI, four from Alternative, one from DPA and one independent.
Big drama again at the beginning of 2023. AA returns to power, Alternative comes out! ASH now enters as a more important partner since it has eight MPs, while Alternative with four seems unnecessary. The weight of AA also increases due to the tendency of the “Fire Group” to break away from DUI, risking reducing the parliamentary majority by three deputies.
This political chaos is the result of the lack of a clear ideology in the Albanian political parties, which would serve as a compass that would lead them in the right direction. Without this political compass, these parties will continue to be guided by the interests of certain groups at certain times, without a clear long-term strategy.
What should be done? It is a time of realignment and regrouping, that is, an ideal moment for the ideological definition of parties. Without a set of values and the same political principles, long-term coalitions cannot be formed. Only concrete political interest not only brings about the rapid disintegration of coalitions, but simultaneously promotes political clientelism and shrinks the number of voters. At the same time, it should be seen how the idea of the “European Front” recently launched by the head of the DUI, Ali Ahmeti, is going to pass into the political market. It is evident that the approach of the elections requires an offer that will be accessible to voters from all walks of life, without forgetting that the sharp problems of the country also require a compression of ranks and not only the well-known rhetoric.