This article has been written for Albanian Free Press newspaper and www.afp.al
On 2 April of this year, on the famous night of the dinner at the New Bazaar between Edi Rama and Ilir Meta, we saw smiling faces coming out of the restaurant situated in the old commercial quarter. The happiest face was Erion Veliaj’s, the mayor of Tirana, who during the four hours of the dinner, he had been not only the host, but also the decisive factor who had sat down the two skeptic joint chairmen of the left wing. That night, after many months of Veliaj acting as the key person in a delicate process of mediation between Rama and Meta, Albanians finally came to realize that the mayor of the capital was the preferential channel of communication between the “big boys” in times of peace and times of war alike. A war, which as it was seen in the months that followed, would be a “bloody” one. This war would ultimately result in SMI’s moving to opposition and the final alienation of the former allies.
However, Erion Veliaj knew how to preserve the position of “the golden middle” between Edi Rama and Ilir Meta, even during the election campaign, by clearly acting as a loyal support of Edi Rama. Even when Rama and Meta insulted and accused each other from morning to evening in the quiet election campaign, which was only kept alive by the conflicts between SP and SMI. During those weeks, Veliaj, through an instinctive calculation, rather than a cold and cynical one, placed himself in the moderated side of a relationship which had become difficult, ugly in the verbal aspect and politically irreparable.
This careful approach reflected a long period of intermediacy between the two highest offices of the state, which the mayor did not only to become a political factor, but also for the sake of the delicate balances that exist in the decision making process at the municipality of Tirana. Decision making which has blocked Edi Rama before, along with Lulzim Basha after 2013, when they were mayors of the Albanian capital. Veliaj eagerly offered himself to become mediator of an increasingly difficult and complicated situation between Rama and Meta, as he knew that he only had to gain from this operation of intermediacy, whatever the final result.
On the other hand, the gradual approach of Ilir Meta with the mayor of Tirana seemed to have another side of the medal, which was not a dark one, but merely well calculated. Meta read Veliaj’s approach as a step which had many benefits. First of all, Veliaj was seen by the speaker of Parliament as a safe and trusted channel of communication with Rama, in any critical circumstance or situation. Sources from both camps say that Meta preferred to send his messages to the Prime Minister were sent through Erion Veliaj, when there were no more meetings between them, because the two joint chairmen could no longer stand each other even to have a cup of coffee together. Secondly, the head of SMI knew that he was investing on a figure which was rising quickly in the socialist hierarchy and with whom he would have to deal in the future too. Thirdly and this is where Meta’s cold and cynical calculation comes out, by offering this preferential position to Veliaj in front of Rama, it seemed that he was indirectly damaging the other rival of the mayor of Tirana, former minister Tahiri.
However, this is now history, because the votes of Genta Mezini and Agim Kraja were the two drops of water that filled the “glass of water” of the municipality of Tirana. The voting in favor to increase the price of water, which was quite a delicate topic in this dry summer, has not only led to Bovilla drying out, but it also led to the end of long peace between Erion Veliaj and Ilir Meta. It was known who the socialist mayor was going to choose between the two “joint chairmen” of the alliance that no longer exists: Edi Rama. It was only a matter of time until this happened, especially after the convincing result of 25 June, which left no room for dilemmas in relation to the possibilities of a post-electoral cooperation between SP and SMI.
With the relations with the mayor of Tirana being aggravated, what had remained of the four year alliance between SP and SMI, officially comes to an end. The mayor of Tirana is the last socialist official who now things (and acts) like his chairman, even in regards to the positioning toward SMI.
So, we’re expecting to see tension and clashes between the two parties that had temporarily found a balance of interests within power and who now have officially waged war. The peace and love in the Tirana Municipality Council was only worth two votes. This former island of peace in the turbulent sea of June 25, is no longer quiet now.
Note: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press’ editorial policy
