At the beginning of November, Berat seems to be living two seasons at once. Under the soft autumn sun, the last tourists continue to wander the pedestrian street that runs through the heart of the city, while the New Year tree has already arrived in the square – tall, decorated and ready for the celebration.
The main squares and streets have been decorated since November 1st, as the largest municipality in the region heads towards local by-elections. However, politics is rarely mentioned in the conversations of the Beratans.
"There is always more movement in the city on Sunday, especially now that the last visitors are arriving. Our minds are on work, not on the elections," says Valentina, who sells fruit with her husband on the boulevard in front of the "Margarita Tutulani" Cultural Center.
Although the peak season has passed, the streets of Berat are still bustling with activity this early November. Although fewer in number, foreign tourists are still present, while bars, restaurants and guesthouses were all full on Sunday, a week before the elections.
"Generally, in the winter months, domestic tourism dominates, especially during weekends. We can say that the city is still engaged in tourism and the campaign is felt less," says Isuf Braho, a professional guide in the city.
There are no campaign posters or political slogans on the city's streets. The decorations put up by the municipality give the impression of preparations for the end-of-year holidays. For the local opposition, the decorations put up since early November are not a sign of the city's vitality, but part of an image strategy by the municipality.
“The city is being decorated ahead of time for campaign purposes, to create the impression that everything is going well,” the Democratic Party branch in Berat told BIRN. “In reality, poverty and corruption prevail in every cell of the administration. These are empty spoons that the municipality’s propaganda serves to its citizens, its taxpayers,” the DP added.
The Municipality of Berat officially denied that the decorations were made for campaign purposes. In a comment, the municipality said that the decorations are still in progress and that the goal is to increase tourist interest in the run-up to the end of the year.
"The decorations are still in progress, because the decoration is not finished. The only ones that have opened a week earlier than last year are the lodges in the city center and the goal is to attract as many visitors as possible, because it is the end of the season," the Municipality responded.
Race without fever
Berat is a bastion of the left, which has run the municipality since 2000. The Socialist Party's electoral base appears to have expanded further with the 2015 territorial reform, when four additional administrative units joined the municipality.
However, Berat's population is shrinking, and this is reflected in the election turnout figures. From over 35,000 voters in the 2015 elections, their number decreased to 28,000 in the 2023 local elections.
The Municipality of Berat is heading towards elections due to the resignation of Ervin Demos, currently Minister of State for Local Government. The acting Mayor of the Municipality, Ervin Ceca, and Pavllo Shkarpa, head of the cultural association "Antipatrea", are competing for the position left vacant by him.
On the ground, the campaign is quiet, without large rallies or enthusiasm. Both candidates continue their meetings, dividing them between urban areas of the city and administrative units.
Socialist Party candidate Ervin Ceca, an economist by profession, sees the race as a continuation of his commitment to local government, where he has served as chairman of the Municipal Council since 2019.
Ceca says he is running with the trust of the SP leadership and the political leadership of the region, while declaring continuity as a priority. He also added that despite the short campaign, he has held intensive meetings with a focus on direct contact with citizens.
“We have tried to move forward with a busy agenda, to touch every administrative unit and every neighborhood of the city,” Ceca said. “The meetings have been positive, as I have constantly received appreciation for the good work done by my predecessor. Every citizen has been listened to with maximum responsibility, their concerns have been well understood and I think that citizens appreciate it when they are heard,” he added.
His rival, Pavllo Shkarpa, told BIRN that he is running out of love for the city. On social media, Shkarpa says that “my party is Berat,” trying to talk more about everyday problems than political divisions.
While running as an independent but supported by the opposition, Shkarpa describes the campaign as quite productive, but difficult and with obstacles related to the political climate in the city.
“They welcome me wherever I go with a lot of love, but also with fear,” he said. “Because today we live in a dictatorship within a democracy,” he added, referring to the pressure on the local administration.
Pavllo Shkarpa's program is based on several simple pillars, which according to him are directly related to the daily life of the city.
"The four pillars are: tourism, crafts, education and fruit growing," he said, adding that "sports are an important part of this vision."
But beyond the candidates' rhetoric, the city seems indifferent in early November. The only sign reminding us of the upcoming elections was the placement of voter lists near the "Margarita Tutulani" Palace of Culture.
Meanwhile, young people in the city see the future closely linked to tourism, not politics.
"Tourism gives you the opportunity to be free and give your best," Braho concluded. /BIRN/
