The Socialist Party branch in Fier today celebrated the 35th anniversary of its founding during an event held at the Archaeological Park of Apollonia. Hundreds of Socialist Party supporters attended the event, including prominent figures from the party as well as Prime Minister Edi Rama.
During his speech, Rama addressed the ongoing protest in Tirana against the Zvërnec development project, linking the debate to environmental issues and the way they are discussed in public. He stressed that such situations should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations, stating that “accountability is achieved by sitting down at the table, not by demanding the government’s resignation.”
“What is happening today, which has brought people together on the boulevard, started with a legitimate environmental concern and has evolved into accusations of treason, with me at the top of the list. What matters is what is happening today and the way it is being used.
It is not as though there is genuine concern about what will happen to the flamingos of Zvërnec. Albania is now facing a different era of conflicts. I am not saying that the people taking part are agents, spies, or anything of that sort, but alongside a considerable number of young politicians from various parties, there are also people who have fallen victim to this narrative.
They may feel as though the whole world is on their side, that media systems across the United States and Europe are showing great sympathy for people fighting for their homeland. Anyone who thinks this way is being very naive and is mistaken.
When we came to power, Albania was a country where hunting tourism flourished to an extent unmatched elsewhere in Europe. There was a system that brought in tourists with shotguns, resulting in the illegal killing of birds. If this passion for wildlife had truly been so strong, we would have witnessed not just one large protest; people would have flocked like flamingos themselves, saying, ‘Do not kill the flamingos,’ because they had disappeared.
Today, we maintain a registry of the entire bird and wildlife population. Their numbers have multiplied since we began keeping records because this government imposed a ten-year hunting ban.
We have the inventory, and all institutions dealing with wildlife are aware of it. Accountability is achieved by sitting down together and demanding transparency. This approach of refusing negotiations and simply saying ‘leave’ cannot be accepted. What should be demanded is accountability from the government, not its resignation. Accountability must be sought at the table, not through this kind of confrontational approach,” Rama said.
The post Fier, Rama to Protesters: Accountability Is Found at the Table, Not by Demanding the Government’s Resignation appeared first on Euronews Albania.
