Baton Haxhiu: Without a clear political vision, the “axis of evil” cannot be toppled by protests alone

Analyst Baton Haxhiu analyzed the strength and limits of the civic movement against the executive, dismissing the notion that the absence of a leader makes the protest stronger.

He distinguishes two different concepts of legitimacy: moral and constitutional. For Haxhiu, street action has served to undermine the moral authority of the government, but changing constitutional legitimacy requires other mechanisms, such as the electoral process, a complete institutional blockade, or a revolutionary movement.

“They govern knowing that among a large part of citizens their moral authority has fallen, due to repeated decisions and mistakes, and they experience this as a challenge in their daily governing confrontations. However, the loss of constitutional legitimacy is conditioned by several stages: through elections, challenging legitimacy with a motion, a total blockade of the system, and revolution. There is no other way out,” the analyst said.

According to him, the movement has so far only touched one point: calling moral credibility into question, turning the protest into a factor that now possesses part of this moral legitimacy.

Haxhiu emphasizes that taking to the streets is not enough without a concrete project behind it. He insists that the protest itself must give birth to the new political figure and platform that will lead society.

“Albania needs a new political offer. But what is that new thing that has yet to take shape as an idea? This can be brought by the protest, which should have done so earlier. Around the world, protests create a cause and a political vision that produces a new direction. The fact that people continue to demand leadership even with this longevity of the protest proves that they still do not have a clear role in relation to the old power,” he stated.

In concluding his argument, Haxhiu added: “The movement must produce the political figure. The axis of evil does not disappear simply by protesting, without a guiding idea. Therefore, I repeat: automatically, the majority cannot produce legitimacy and legality in Albanian society, just as it cannot, in any form, question constitutional legitimacy.”