FLASH
Shkruar nga Thoma Gëllçi
Today, Erion Braçe represents a mature and consolidated figure in Albanian politics. He may be flexible in the way he acts, but he is unwavering when it comes to the truth. He is not a politician who follows the interests of the moment or ready-made rhetoric. He tries to build his opinion on direct contact with the people.
I knew Erion Braçe when he was very young. It is one of those memories that are connected to a special time and with people who started their journey from scratch. I have a very clear picture of the moment when he first entered my office. It was when I was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit”, during the difficult years of Berisha’s government, when SHIK was the police and the police often behaved like a gang. It was a difficult reality, with pressure, fear and a lot of uncertainty.
In that atmosphere, one day, a young man appeared in my office. He was small, with a simple appearance, but with a kind of determination that was visible from the entrance. His name was Erion Braçe. He had come with an article in his hand for the newspaper. I took the article from him and started reading it. Today I do not remember the specific content of that article. I do not remember the words, nor the topic. But the feeling he gave me has remained very clear to me: a strong nerve, a resolute attitude, a kind of courage that went beyond his small body.
After that first article came a second one. Then a third one. And so on. It was no coincidence. It was persistence. It was a desire to be part of the debate and to contribute. At one point, he was no longer the one who came with articles, but it was I who suggested that he come and start working at the newspaper, if he wanted to. He accepted. This is where Erion's path as a journalist began. And naturally, this path later turned into his path as a politician, as a parliamentarian and as one of the figures who has also held high state positions.
At the same time, our friendship began there. A friendship that has remained the same despite the years that have passed, despite the different paths we have taken and the positions we have held. It is not a random friendship. It is a relationship that has gone through time and different situations and has remained essentially unchanged.
Because Erion himself has remained the same in essence. He has been and remains a fighting, honest, self-sacrificing and hard-working boy. A man for whom the general interest is not a slogan, but is part of his way of thinking and acting. He is not one of those who adapt to circumstances to be calm. He is one of those who get involved, who react and who take responsibility.
Today, Erion Braçe represents a mature and consolidated figure in Albanian politics. He may be flexible in the way he acts, but he is unwavering when it comes to the truth. He is not a politician who follows the interests of the moment or ready-made rhetoric. He tries to build his opinion on direct contact with people. He meets people, listens, discusses and then takes a position. This makes his approach more concrete and more connected to reality.
In this sense, he is a daily worker of politics. He does not stop at declarations. He is involved in concrete issues. He has been like that in every position he has held, from parliamentary functions to the post of deputy prime minister. He has never been a formal figure.
His declaration that he wants to run for mayor of Tirana has opened a debate that goes beyond his name. It is not simply a question of whether or not he will be a candidate. It is a debate about the way decisions are made in Albanian politics.
There are voices saying that he has no chance. Baton Haxhiu, for example, has said that he admires Braça's courage, but that he has no real chance of being a candidate. According to him, decisions are made in a centralized manner, without internal debate, and the list of people who are in the party structures makes such a candidacy impossible.
These are arguments that many accept as true. But this is precisely where the importance of the step that Erion Braçe has taken lies. He is challenging this way of doing politics. He is demanding that decisions not be made in silence and without discussion. He is demanding that there be space for competition and for real representation.
I, who know him well as an individual and as a character, know that this is not a random move. It is part of his way of acting. And I am convinced that many socialists and many citizens of Tirana are waiting for exactly such a figure. A figure who does not represent other interests, but only the interest of the citizens.
Erion Braçe is no longer the young man who once entered my office with a piece of writing in his hand. He is still small in stature, but today he carries with him a great deal of experience and a long history of work.
No one has been more opposed within the socialist government, both at the central and local levels, than he has. No one has raised his voice more often on concrete issues.
He has consistently defended the rights of farmers. He has held the ministers of agriculture accountable, even though they belonged to the same political wing. He has been direct and clear in his positions. In many cases, even the official opposition has not done as much as he has in raising problems and proposing solutions.
Even today, with this step he has taken, he is giving impetus to a discussion that is missing. He is seeking to open a debate about representation and how candidates are selected. This is a contribution that goes beyond personal interest.
For me, the choice is clear. I have my candidate. And he is Erion Braçe. I hope that many others share this opinion.
Ka mundësi që kandidati juaj i preferuar Erion Braçe të bëhet Kryetar i Bashkisë Tiranë. Baton Haxhiu që i referoheni do ja thotë një fjalë sulltanit që t'ja lëshojë fermanin Braçes. Pothuajse të gjithë gazetarët e Zërit të Popullit kanë ecur përpara, ose drejt Amerikës për tu kthyer me mision mbështetjen e kupolës në kohën e duhur, ose kanë bërë karierë dhe pasuri si propogandistë të regjimit komunist të restauruar. Të fala Olsit, u shpreh sot një pensionist në kafeterinë e Tiranës, teksa po lexonte postimin tuaj te Pamfleti. "Të jesh kolonjar është titull", na e ka përkujtuar dje Z.Cako, një vetdeklarim të Z.Shpëtim Nazarko.