It seems that in Albania, to open serious discussions in the Parliament, tragedies must first occur. Only after the murder of two innocent children in Durres did MPs "remember" that there is also a Penal Code and that it may need to be amended.
In today's plenary session, Socialist MP Erion Braçe expressed his indignation over the incident, demanding that drunk driving be treated as intentional homicide. A strong reaction, but one that comes only after two families have opened the doors of the morgue.
Braçe denounced what he called the "normalization of crime," emphasizing that such perpetrators often end up free after a few days, while those with financial means resolve the situation with immediate payments.
After him, Taulant Balla also joined in with the zeal of the moment, demanding changes to the Criminal Code and calling on the State Police to "make an example" of neighborhood strongmen, a category that, apparently, has existed in silence until yesterday and that today suddenly requires immediate action.
Amidst the rhetoric from the Assembly microphone and the painful tones, a simple question remains: why does it always take a tragedy to bring awareness? And how many more lives are needed for the response to be not just another one, but truly effective?
