By Muriel
The next theater in Lezha and the political alchemy of imaginary growth were clearly displayed in another scene of political theater, this time with the backdrop of Lezha on April 8, 2026, where Prime Minister Edi Rama attempted to play the role of a “professor of finance” explaining to Albanians a paradox that does not exist. In his characteristic tone, he posed a question that, according to him, closes any debate: “How can there be rampant corruption, when the budget is growing and we have money for salaries and pensions?”
For every citizen who feels the weight of life and for every financial expert, this is not logic, but a political alchemy through which Rama tries to convince the public that, if the “treasury” still has money, then no one is stealing. But the truth is much more bitter: the corruption of this era is not the ordinary theft of the treasury, but the capture of the very system of money production through personalized laws and the monopoly of friends of power.
The "black hole" engineering and the gold-priced asphalt paid for with debt prove that the corruption of the "Rama" era is unique, because it does not happen in the alley with bribes, but in the office with forged papers and contracts that kill the future. Through PPP schemes, where our roads cost an average of 20 to 30 million euros per kilometer, money comes out of the budget "legally", but at inflated costs that would envy even the highways of Switzerland.
This is “licensed theft”, where money appears in the budget, but its destination is predetermined for a handful of people. While the Prime Minister talks about budget growth, he forgets to say that this growth is fueled by a galloping public debt that is weighing on the backs of Albanians. We are not getting rich from good governance; we are taking out loans in the name of our grandchildren to pay for the luxurious contracts of the oligarchs who control every cell of the economy.
The paradox of wages in the face of the harsh reality of the supermarket and the decline in purchasing power becomes apparent when Rama ironically asks how wages increase if they are stolen. The answer lies in the empty pockets of citizens who face rising prices every day. Although the figures on paper may have moved, purchasing power is in free fall due to inflation and hidden taxation that comes directly from favored monopolies.
In the Albania of 2026, we continue to have the lowest wages in the region in relation to the cost of living, as the money that Rama says is “excessive” for wage increases is crumbs compared to the billions that are channeled into phantom incinerators that are paid for without working, or into health concessions that cost millions but provide minimal service. This is not an increase in welfare; it is a distribution of handouts to cover the systematic extortion of national wealth.
The international diagnosis and the system's mask falling in the face of SPAK's facts show that, if everything were as rosy as the Prime Minister says, it would remain a mystery why international reports give a deadly diagnosis for Albania. Transparency International (2026) ranks us at the bottom of Europe with only 39 points, while DASH speaks of systematic corruption in every branch of government. This is reinforced by the recent arrests of ministers, mayors and important directors, which are irrefutable proof of the rotting of the administration.
When half of your cabinet is at the prosecutor's office's doors for massive theft of public funds, claiming that corruption is just "noise" is a cynicism that can no longer find a place in a society that demands real accountability.
The need for radical political surgery and why Rama's departure is inevitable comes as a result of the fact that Albania is suffering from a disease that cannot be cured with propaganda, colorful screens or district assembly meetings. Edi Rama is the architect of a structure where the law serves the oligarch, the screen serves the government and the opposition is kept under siege to avoid any kind of accountability.
This proves that this corruption is not a random defect in the system, but the very engine that has kept this government afloat for more than a decade.
Mr. Rama, this country cannot breathe as long as the "doctor" is the one who keeps the wound open for his electoral interests. And for these billions to no longer end up in private pockets, there is only one way out: you must leave, because every day more in that office is a cost that Albania can no longer afford in the balance of the future.
