By Ekrem Spahiu
Të lidhura
None found
As they celebrate today the 98th anniversary of the proclamation of the Albanian Kingdom, the citizens of Albania and the entire nation honor the date of September 1, 1928, when a political system based on national, social, economic and legal values—recognized as the most successful and desirable for them—was established and began to function.
The commemoration of this landmark date in Albania’s history finds the country almost destabilized by the absence and failure of democracy and justice, systemic corruption, the disintegration of the government administration, low living standards, insecurity, organized and ordinary crime, an electoral law that discriminates against equality among citizens, the erosion of family and social values, and other problems, resulting in the mass departure of Albanians from the country. This is the opposite of what was expected after more than three decades of democratic rule.
The public allergy created by this situation is being expressed in the protests that began three months ago as an environmental movement but naturally transformed into a sustained civic movement, challenging the 36-year-old political reality that has caused this situation.
The regime itself, and the political system, have been called into question. More precisely, this political system has failed, and citizens are demanding its change. In response to this powerful public reaction, it is time to recall that the regime of the Albanian Kingdom, which lasted only 11 years, left Albania a wealth of concepts, practices and institutions whose standards, in almost every respect, have not been matched by any subsequent government.
But why do Albanians want the Kingdom?
– The royal alternative under King Zog’s leadership has been tested in Albania and has proved the most desirable for Albanians, because under that political regime they enjoyed security and rights they have never enjoyed since.
– It was not the Albanian people who removed the Kingdom, but unfortunately the fascist occupation.
– The Kingdom, under King Leka I, was confirmed as the most desirable political system among Albanian voters in Albania in the June 29, 1997 referendum on the form of the regime, winning at least 54% of the vote nationwide, despite being openly manipulated.
– All the opposition political parties of the time, along with more than 30 other entities, signed a political agreement on June 4, 1998, stating that the referendum had been manipulated and should be repeated.
– Repeating the referendum faces no constitutional obstacle. Article 151/3 of the Constitution of Albania clearly states: “A referendum on the same issue may not be repeated before three years have passed since it was held.”
– Prince Leka II, the legitimate heir to the royal throne, fulfills all the requirements and is ready to exercise the authority deriving from this political system if Albanians demand it by a majority vote.
– The “Kingdom” system is not solely an Albanian model. European states with this political system have proven to be the most developed countries, with the highest levels of political, economic and social stability.
Based on these premises, the time has come for the citizens of Albania to undertake the legal initiative to begin procedures for holding a referendum on the form of Albania’s political regime.
The Kingdom is not merely a political regime, but a stage that homogenizes society, a shared national shield that almost all modern states have passed through. History shows that around two decades after the founding of the Albanian state, Albania was the only country in the Balkans and Albanians were the only nation that did not have this shield, while all the other states and nations in the region had formed their respective political entities precisely through their kingdoms. For the first time under the Monarchy, the Albanian state was recognized by all Western states, first and foremost by the United States and the United Kingdom.
With the proclamation of the Kingdom, King Zog oriented the entire structure and institutions of government toward the best Western models. In a rare moment in Albania’s history, the finest legal, economic, military and diplomatic expertise from Western states was brought in. The Fundamental Statute, the civil code, the commercial code, the penal code, the civil procedure code and others, drafted with the assistance of this expertise, marked a complete break with legislation from the Ottoman period and directed Albania toward the construction and functioning of a modern state with a clear Western European orientation. The Albanian Monarchy governed the country through a democratically elected parliament, putting an end to the fragmentationist policies that had posed a considerable threat in the period following the founding of the Albanian state.
As is well known, the political system known as the “People’s Republic of Albania,” which followed the Kingdom and was installed by the communist regime on January 11, 1946, turned Albania into the country with the harshest dictatorship among the former communist states, and the consequences are now well known. Meanwhile, the “Parliamentary Republic” political system, established in 1992, proved to have brought profound disappointment to Albanians.
Recalling the realities outlined above, I state with well-founded conviction that not only monarchists but, according to the opinion now certified, the majority of Albanian citizens are demanding the restoration of the Monarchy.
