Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted the podcast "Flasim" this Sunday, where he did not spare praise for his governance, from economic growth to salaries, pensions and institutions. Rama summed it all up in a single sentence, which actually seems more like a beautiful illusion than the next piece of propaganda.
"The economy is growing, pensions and salaries are increasing, domestic and foreign investments are increasing, support for the weakest and patients with serious illnesses has increased, while no taxes are expected to increase and the work of institutions is improving step by step," Rama said.
But for citizens living in Albania, the reality looks quite different. The economy has grown so much that Albanians are leaving the country en masse. Salaries and pensions remain more like handouts in the face of high prices in the markets and the cost of living.
Many foreign companies are closing factories due to the fall of the euro and the impact on exports. Patients, especially those in Oncology, continue to be left to their fate without necessary medicines and equipment, according to reports by the Albanian Supreme Audit Office and the media. Institutions, on the other hand, work so “well” that SPAK investigations reveal corruption at high levels almost every month.
However, in the eyes of the prime minister, Albania has reached an unprecedented stage in terms of international dignity and respect.
"This week we also had the first meeting between the two governments of Albania and Italy in our history, a special day in the entire history of our country's international relations. Albania is at a stage like never before in terms of dignity and international respect," said Rama.
Surely the prime minister is not talking about the "dignity" that the country enjoys in the world as one of the main destinations for laundering money for international drug cartels. Suffice it to mention the recent sanctions by the US against the Hysa family, involved in money laundering activities for the Sinaloa cartel through their businesses. Hysa also has businesses in Albania, and there have been rumors about meetings he has had with Prime Minister Edi Rama.
