Explained/ "Weekly Notes", what Rama said today and lies he emited

Politiko.al

Edi Rama, in his 'Notes of the Week', like every Sunday, has packaged the political week in his own way, speaking as always only from positions that make him and his government look good. Not a word about the German and EPP stance on the European Parliament report, nor about the IBAR (Interim Benchmark Assessment Report) that assesses Albania's progress in the EU integration process.

He started with the economy, with the usual approach, there are scandals, but there is also work, packaging particles of truth with a nebula of lies and optimistic-maximalist projections.

There is a well-known technique in political communication: take a fact, add an optimistic interpretation, and finally announce a maximalist conclusion. The Prime Minister's recent statements on the economy and freedom in Albania follow precisely this logic.

Economy: the truth that lingers longer than necessary

What Rama says: Albania continues with a stable pace of economic growth, positioning itself among the countries with the highest performance for the coming years, according to the forecasts of international financial institutions. In Albania, an increase of about 32% of the Gross National Product is expected in 2030, which places us in the main group of economies with the most stable, but also the highest growth, according to those organizations, not simply according to the Albanian government.

Yes, Albania has a stable economic growth. International financial institutions project rates of around 3–4% per year. This is solid for a European country and sufficient to avoid stagnation.

But here begins the slide into untruth, using elements of truth. The figure of “32% by 2030” is not a special prediction, nor an extraordinary success, but simply the cumulative effect of modest growth over several years. In other words: An arithmetic calculation, packaged as a strategic achievement and perfumed with edramism.

Furthermore, the idea that Albania is positioning itself among the “highest performing” economies does not hold up in a global comparison. 3–4% growth is good for the region, but average in the world. Emerging economies, which are considered dynamic, grow significantly faster.

Freedom House: the report that is only read from one side

Here too, we have the same pattern. Referring to a recent report from Freedom House, Rama says: Albania received a positive assessment from the well-known Freedom House report, which is an international report on freedom in the world – Freedom in the World 2026, was this year's report.

And it is a development worth mentioning, although I take all reports, except for the one from the European Commission, which I take 100% for granted, with some reservations, as they are based on methodologies and survey methods that are not always stable.

However, this is one of those reports that deserves attention and is generally respected. So, according to this report, our country has not only marked an improvement compared to before, but has been ranked as the most highly rated country in the region for the degree of freedom. And this result puts us at the top, ahead of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia, also reflecting progress in relation to the region.

The Freedom House report deserves attention. Albania is not declining in freedoms, and in some indicators, there are improvements. But the report does not say what it claims.

Albania continues to be classified as “partly free.” This means a system that functions, but with structural problems: widespread corruption, pressure on institutions, and dependent media.

The claim that Albania is the “freest country in the region” is, at best, selective. In most comparative rankings, countries like Montenegro or North Macedonia are at the same level or higher.

The report is not a certificate of democratic leadership, but a diagnosis of a hybrid system that improves in some aspects and stagnates in others.

Conclusion: Propaganda sold as reality

In conclusion, it can be said that the economy is not as weak as critics say, but neither is democracy, where the government says it is. The problem is not in the facts, but in their political translation. Real economic growth turns into a global success story. While a critical report on freedom is translated into a regional triumph. It is the usual style of Edi Rama, who reduces a complex reality to a slogan to sell it to his own people, as well as to appease critics.

In any case, Rama's claims are not a classic lie, but something more sophisticated and at the same time more effective: an edited truth.

In politics, as in journalism, you often don't need to invent facts: You just need to distort them in the right way.