Why are you so upset by Berisha's campaign?

Alfred Lela

Today, I read at least three editorials about the PD–ASHM coalition campaign, all of which chose to view it from completely tangential angles. No attempt was made to address the core of the campaign. Centering the most irrelevant elements only reveals the true intent of our e-newspaper editorialists.

One of them, for example, claimed that the opposition’s campaign is being led by Rama.

In truth, it’s exactly the opposite. The PD knows very well who the foreigners are that are running Rama’s campaign — but have you ever heard Berisha, or anyone else from PD, bring them up?

That’s all Rama does. He spends entire days talking about Chris LaCivita — most likely doing exactly what he did with Trump: first he spat on him, then he kissed up to him.

No, Rama is not leading the opposition’s campaign. Quite the contrary. Do a simple quantitative analysis of Rama’s speeches and see: what percentage of his words focus on his proposals, and how much time does he spend attacking Berisha or other elements of the PD–ASHM campaign?

In public communication, there’s a well-known axiom: whoever builds the strongest narrative can even pull their opponent into it. Now ask yourselves — have you heard Berisha reuse a single Rama promise? Reformulate one of his positions? Redefine any of his offers? Not once.

It’s the opposite that’s happening. After mocking, one by one, the minimum wage, the minimum pension, the child bonus, the Made in Albania package — calling them a move to bankruptcy if implemented — when he saw that these ideas were catching on, under the repeated and serious messaging of Berisha, he adopted them and now presents them as his.

And how did he respond when he was called out on this? “Promises don’t have copyrights.” No, they don’t. But in the language of Latif, you’d be called the “flip-flop” candidate. The one who jumps from one branch to another. Meaning, you have no axis, no credo. You stumble across the minefield of the campaign driven by impulse.

Berisha isn’t just leading the campaign — he’s the only one actually campaigning (here’s one explanation why). The editorialists, who write things they don’t believe themselves, must at least know what a real campaign is. Campaigning is, first and foremost, a clash of ideas and governing platforms. If Berisha has put his platform forward, based on five pillars:

The Dignity Package,
Made in Albania (or sovereign/patriotic economy),
Cleaning house (zero tolerance fight against crime and corruption),
Lowering the tax burden, and
Albania as a digital/ICT hub –
Then what is Rama’s platform for developing the country?

"the owl"; "the swamp"; "don’t vote"; “I recruited three FRPD youth”; “I’ll take Ilir Vrenozi too”; “if you don’t vote for me you’re autistic”; (remember the candidate in Këlcyrë who wished cancer on those who didn’t vote for him?)!!!

Ah, right — the European passport! But Albanians don’t want to travel — they want to leave. And why do they want to leave? Because in 12 years, Rama hasn’t built an Albania that convinces them to stay.

Another claim — that Rama is campaigning like Trump, and Berisha like Harris — is not only naïve, but a spectacular miss of the mark. Trump won not because he was transgressive as a political operator, but because he offered an aggressive economic package. Even the most radical leftists in America admit it: “Trump beat us on economics.” Sali Berisha is doing the same.

So what’s Trumpian about Rama? Only one thing: the swamp. “Let’s drain the swamp!” Trump would shout, followed by his supporters. “The swamp, the swamp, let’s drain the swamp!” Rama repeats daily, all day long.

But there’s one big difference:
If Trump could say it and do it, Rama cannot.
He’s been in power for 12 years.

He is the swamp.