Police violence against students/ Ilir Ikonomi mocks Rama: For the Albanian state budget being stolen with both hands, 2,500 euros are nothing at all

Well-known journalist Ilir Ikonomi mocked Prime Minister Edi Rama over his decision to reward State Police officers with 2,500 euros each for having been deployed during the student protest, where they also used violence against the students.

Referring to the history of ancient Rome, Konomi compares the decision with cases in which emperors rewarded soldiers to secure their loyalty, ironically describing it as a way of buying the police’s loyalty in defense of those in power.

“Claudius was the first emperor to use bribes to secure the loyalty of the guards. Bribes to buy off police officers and soldiers are often given in amounts that include the number 5. Perhaps this number has historically been a good omen,” he writes.

He then adds: “For the Albanian state budget that is stolen with both hands, 2,500 euros are nothing at all, especially when they are paid to protect ‘the only man’ who can take the country into the EU.”

Full reaction:

A story from ancient Rome.

In AD 41, Claudius promised 15,000 sesterces—the name of the currency at the time—to the guardsmen who supported him in becoming emperor of Rome.

This is reported by the Roman historian Suetonius, who writes that Claudius in fact bought their loyalty in order to seize power.

Claudius was the first emperor to use bribes to secure the loyalty of the guards.

Bribes to buy off police officers and soldiers are often given in amounts that include the number 5. Perhaps this number has historically been a good omen.

In AD 193, when the Praetorian Guard killed the emperor, one of the claimants to the throne, Didius Julianus, promised each soldier 25,000 sesterces to proclaim him emperor.

If the euro had been used at that time, the reward might have been 2,500 euros.

For the Albanian state budget that is stolen with both hands, 2,500 euros are nothing at all, especially when they are paid to protect “the only man” who can take the country into the EU.