In a shocking and unprecedented turn of events, Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has finally discovered a deep and passionate concern for the hard-earned money of Albanian taxpayers. But wait—don’t get too excited. It’s not the billions lost in corruption scandals, the incinerator fiasco, the criminally overpriced road tenders, or the outrageous sterilization contracts that have roused his conscience. No, no. Rama has found his breaking point in the arrest of officials from the Agricultural University of Tirana.
Yes, you heard that right.
For years, as his government and its cronies have siphoned public funds like a never-ending buffet, Rama remained unbothered. When cancer patients at the Tirana Oncology Hospital were left without essential medication, did Rama shed a tear for the taxpayers funding a healthcare system that barely functions? Of course not. When Albanians were forced to foot the bill for roads that cost ten times more than anywhere else in Europe, did he object? Not in the slightest. And when his inner circle engineered a multi-million-euro incinerator scheme that led to zero incinerators and 100% stolen taxpayer money, did he lament the financial burden on Albanians? Perish the thought!
But now, suddenly, when university officials get arrested for alleged corruption, Rama emerges as the unexpected champion of legal fairness and financial prudence.
“Arresting people without trial is illegal,” he proclaimed with an air of righteous indignation. “These unlawful arrests will end up costing the Albanian taxpayer in compensation payments!”
Oh, the irony. The man who turned a blind eye to countless financial crimes is now deeply worried about hypothetical compensation costs. Where was this moral outrage when Albanians were robbed blind by government-linked tender schemes? Where was this concern for due process when opposition figures were dragged through the courts at record speed?
But the plot thickens. Rama, in his newfound crusade for justice, has also taken a moment to point out that—gasp—the U.S. Embassy has gone quiet on Albania’s justice reform.
“For the first time since 1991, there are no statements from the U.S. Embassy about the justice reform,” he declared.
A coincidence? Or is it that the very justice system he once hailed as a triumph of his administration has now started to cast its net in directions he never anticipated? And so, in a desperate bid to regain control, he warns of fictional coups against SPAK, throws vague threats about “melting down” institutions, and delivers cryptic slogans about May 11th, as if he’s preparing to unveil some great political magic trick.
The truth, however, is far simpler: Rama’s sudden concern for taxpayers isn’t about justice, fairness, or the rule of law. It’s about self-preservation. It’s about controlling the narrative. And most importantly, it’s about making sure that justice remains a tool that he may control directly or indirectly, rather than a force that might—just might—one day hold him accountable.
For a man who has spent over a decade treating Albania’s public funds like a personal ATM, this newfound moral awakening is not just ironic—it’s outright laughable.