From Rama to Rama: The long message that the Prime Minister published to defend the government

"Don't even think (in Italy we say "Nempeno Per Scherzo") of resigning!"

This is the message that Prime Minister Edi Rama published this Thursday, which, according to him, was sent to him by an Albanian immigrant who lives and works in Italy.

At a time when the government is facing accusations from the opposition and ongoing protests regarding strategic investments and tourism development, Rama chose to publicly share this message of support, presenting himself as a voice of the diaspora that opposes the narrative that "Albania is being sold."

But who is the author?

In his post, Rama does not provide any information about the identity of the person who wrote to him. It is not known whether it is an ordinary citizen, a businessman, an activist or a person with political connections. However, the message stands out for its length, structure and arguments used.

A message that is more like a manifesto

Beyond supporting the prime minister, the author defends almost all of the government's major projects, from tourist resorts to strategic investments in the south of the country. He argues that Albania is not being sold, but rather is being developed, while harshly criticizing the government's opponents and protesters, describing the latter as people who hang out in cafes, on TikTok, or who go on rides in flashy vehicles.

"You and the Socialist Party have been the ones who in recent years have worked towards a vision that we young people born and/or raised abroad are making us dream of. Yes, you are making us dream of moving to our country of origin to come live and work, and I don't want this dream to fade away right now when it seems to be very close to being realized!"

"Hundreds of thousands of citizens can gather in Tirana every evening and protest endlessly... but you should know that you have strong support from those who live and work honestly, people like me and my family! Who don't have time to sit on Tik Tok and create fake news with Artificial Intelligence, or even to tell you how much we support you as prime minister, because unlike those who spend their days in cafes, on TikTok, shooting tires around senselessly in cars with tinted windows..."

The pseudo-immigrant that Rama has served to the audience on Facebook goes further, calling those Albanians who today protest every day in the square "ignorant" for the looting that the prime minister is publicly exposing.

“I could give you a list of things I am for and against, but I want to take this moment to give you some advice on how to remove a stain that the internet and ignorant people have put on you at this moment... namely that you are the prime minister who is selling out Albania.”

The text uses terms such as "mass tourism", "high-spending tourism", "communication to re-educate the population", "restricted traffic zone" or references to the Swiss and German models, elements that make the message seem more structured than a typical spontaneous reaction on the phone.

But an interesting contradiction is found when he talks about corruption. According to the author of the message, "corruption is the number one problem of this country ," an argument he immediately refutes when he says that "anyone with a clear conscience knows that the people who are corrupted are not Edi Rama's fault."

Narrative that matches the government's

Another striking detail is that many of the author's arguments align with the public line defended by the government for months. The author insists that foreign investment and resorts do not constitute a "sale of Albania", but an opportunity for economic development, a thesis that Rama has repeatedly repeated in his public appearances.

"A Resort is a complex of sports centers, hotels, hospitals, attractions and more. And I hope that the project will be like that, not just luxury hotels. I hope to see in Vlora what is in Munich, Germany, "Olympiapark", our Olympic Park by the sea, something that Europe and the whole world will envy us... It is enough to take the Zermatt model in Switzerland as an example. Anyone who works and is informed about how the management of a state and investments works, knows that this is not the case. I know that you are not selling anything!"

Likewise, the author of the message in question applauds the work of the government, which, according to him, has guaranteed that today Albania lacks nothing.

"I'm not talking about amenities, now there is almost nothing missing, the work you have done in these years is bringing the country to the same level as EU countries."

Citizen message or communication strategy?

The publication of the message also raises questions about the way the prime minister is choosing to respond to criticism. Instead of a political or institutional reaction, Rama has decided to bring attention to an individual testimony, using it as an argument to show that there is tacit support for the government and its projects.

In the absence of information about the author, it remains unclear whether we are dealing with an ordinary citizen or a person who has special knowledge on the topics he addresses.