Prime Minister Edi Rama’s remarks at today’s parliament session:

As parliament continues normal proceedings according to its agenda, all those who are sincerely interested in providing a solution to this entirely absurd situation with one side having forwarded a number of requests and the other, namely the government, not only it hasn’t turned down any of these demands, but quite the contrary, it is totally committed and ready to tackle them one by one, are invited at any moment, even at the parliament’s sessions hall if they wish, to openly and publicly discuss about the eight demands and more than that. This hall is available to them.

Actually, the country’s real opposition today are those students who have decided to rebel against a system within the university that has taken them hostage, giving us, at the same time, a slap to wake us up and open our eyes to focus more on what is happening inside the walls of the university.

This parliament, or any public hall in this city or in any university city around the country can be the appropriate space for us to sit and discuss and I am ready to discuss and talk with students right here and wherever they want, neither to confuse them, nor to put them in a dead end or put an end to their protest. I don’t want this protest to end, because this protest, which focuses on an 8-point list only, has deeper roots, is deeply rooted in the source of university illness, in that disease, which the long-awaited autonomy, for the first time granted by the Socialist majority, had covered without allowing for their treatment.

I want to tell everyone that it is quite easy for me, I mean it is quite easy for us, to consider this protest as matter of procedure, a matter of supply and demand, or merely as a matter of ordering items in a shop, but this is not about buying a kilo of meat, potatoes or apples. This is all about opening a process that starts right by these eight demands.

To all of those saying “meet all demands”, I want to tell them we are ready to meet them one by one, but those who appeared here in their capacity as the masked opposition’s representatives, the representatives of the opposition that has gone underground and is unable to emerge and support a student protest, because as soon it voices support, it stains such a protest and just imagine of kind of an opposition it is. An opposition rushing to intervene amidst the orange vest protesters at Astir area and has no courage to openly tell the people it supports students, because it risks a huge slap, just like no one in politics would have ever wished for. So the question is what lies behind the dialogue deadlock?

This is unprecedented.

What lies behind the rampant propaganda being incited by the opposition parties that say no dialogue should take place?

On one hand, there lies the purpose to ensure that these demands are not met so that students get artificially angry and enter the dead end this opposition wants them to enter since it lost elections and pledges a revolution, threaten instability and seeks to cause chaos. It was exactly this opposition that delivered the messages that either the government will collapse, or Tirana will be set on fire on Tuesday.

What lies behind it?

This is unprecedented and this is also the reason why I am refusing to meet these eight demands that seem just like a shopping list, because as soon as we state this, not in front of the students and not together with them, the whole manipulation machinery – which is doesn’t belong to the opposition parties only, but also to those who wake up every morning hoping for the village to be burned down and rush at night to TV stations – will promptly say “No, it was not like this.”

The first demand implies not only cutting tariffs by half, but how this tariffs will be halved and as soon as we get into “how”, right then the whole industry of manipulation is put in motion. It is not a question whether we want to, or we do not want to clean the university from that entire farce weighing on everyone’s shoulders, the academic titles based not on scientific studies but on corruption, cheating, and fraud. The question is “how”.

We are prepared not only for “the what”, but also for “the how”, yet we have to discuss it with the students in front of the public eyes, in order to be clear for everyone about what has been said and what has been done. This is the goal and all students should understand it.

I am really sorry, but I happened to watch a video showing a debate at the Faculty of Economics and students gathered there called for an accord and broad consensus to open dialogue, but a ghost of the former Labour Party, a representative of the most vulgar part of the Labour Party, a doctor of science whose doctoral research focused on “the horse efficiency in the economy” – it’s a doctoral degree and not a satirical poetry – addressed the university students. I have nothing against him personally, but he is an individual I thought had already passed away and I was really surprised and I couldn’t believe my eyes. He is an individual who represents everything we can no longer swallow when we rebelled against the regime in the’90s. He is the very image and embodiment of the mediocrity and sheer hypocrisy of that regime, but addresses the students now over loudspeaker telling them why they should not dialogue with the country’s Prime Minister. Oh my God! Today it is not a day to call for dialogue, but instead pray for the students, to pray that these horned devils do no longer much harm as they have already done for years now! The head of the National Tourism Committee, a communist-turned socialist who used to send anonymous letters to promote dairy production in hospitality and tourism and oriented operators to buy products from his brother in Permet.

Excuse me, but where do we live? What is the point we have reached?

At the end of 2018, we are still discussing whether we should or should not talk! And what is more, I am asked not talk when I should do so. Why shouldn’t I? “Because you can convince us.”

This sounds crazy – “because you can convince us.” I don’t convince them, but students. Don’t talk with him, because he will confuse and disorientate you, he will lie and will enchant you…

Come on, we are not joking. We are neither here to do as if. We are saying this is all about the future and this game should come to an end. This is what we are saying.

Everyone listening now should know that we are ready to fulfill all student demands. But we should directly talk with the students.

The dialogue should produce a detailed agreement with the authorities assuming full responsibility for each of the demands and the individuals tasked with addressing the demands will be held responsible for addressing or failure to tackle every demand.

I can’t imagine a situation with three quarters of the demands having nothing to do with the government. They have nothing to do with the government. Three quarter of the requests are an internal matter of the universities. The fact that such demands are forwarded to the government speaks for itself. It shows the truth. It shows that hope for finding a solution to these problems by the university forums has died.

Is there any problem to disclose the university expense online? Is this the government’s job? How I would say “yes” without talking while seeing you in your eyes? What will happen and who will do what in this whole story, because I can say “yes”, yet it the university the one that should disclose its spending online. And this is not going to happen should we be satisfied with a “yes” to end the protest.

When I saw that “ghost” a day ago, I just figured out that a whole mass of those who do not want a solution have already come together.

Those in opposition do not want a solution too. Those who make comments on TV stations in the evening do not want a solution too.

The ones who also do not want a solution are those currently working in the universities and who feel that should we go beyond meeting the 8-demand list, then this would mark the beginning of their end. This would mark the beginning of their end!

Should the students succeed not only to raise their voice, but also make their voice heard, then it would be significantly difficult to ask money from them in exchange of a passing exam, it would be difficult to ask them pay for the textbooks. This is not included in the 8 demands.

An entire group of the country’s social, political, academic and economic life has come together and is seeking to oust the government, but this group has nothing to do with students, who are seeking to tackle their discrimination issue inside the university’ walls.

This is the reason why I am here together with you on the students’ side.

I don’t want this protest to end. I want to be part of this protest in the future. The protest on the streets can end, but the real protest should go on in every university in the form of a structured network of people, who have taken the street not only for economic reason as a group of people calling for economic solution and then leave keeping their heads down to become again part of a system with no regard for the dignity.

SO, what I am calling for is dialogue, not as a way to delay a solution, not to drag the process indefinitely, but open a totally new chapter based on those eight demands. I tell you again for the last time, although I know that never, though I repeat it, it won’t suffice if we do not meet face to face with the students who want solutions. The eight demands are feasible and we are ready to deliver.

I just confirmed this now, but you will soon hear the constant refrain: “Comply with our demands, we won’t meet you!”

But what shall we do? How this eight demands are to be met?

The government today is not in conflict with students. The government is all eyes and ears, carefully listening to the students.

I would like to express my appreciation to students for slap the government, and me if you will, across the face. Such slaps are the right ones we need to become more aware and do our job better.

Those who say: “Why now? Didn’t you know this earlier?” – I would tell them that democracy is born precisely for this and it is the best system of all systems we know, precisely because it gives the elected people the opportunity to move forward their pledges, but it also allows voters to shake their elected representatives all the time.

This is the reason why I used and still think that only a true co-governance with the citizens will ultimately save Albania from these phenomena.

This is a great moment to make the co-governance a true reality and not just limit it to the implementation of these eight demands. We want the tariffs cut! Of course! We want the universities to disclose spending online! Certainly yes! We want the student card provided! Of course! We want the dormitories refurbished? Of course! We want everything done in compliance with the eight demands! Of course, but what then? Would the heating system, low tariffs, the student card, the libraries would solve the university’s fundamental problem? Never!

Neither these demands, nor we, or the deans and rectors can’t solve the major problem of the university. Students can’t solve it too. But we can certainly successfully address it should we work all together!

This is what I want to happen and remember this is what is going to happen.

Those who have been thinking and have done whatever they could to turn this unpleasant situation with students into fire for their political gains, this time they will dealt a much worse blow and defeat they suffered in 2017, they will suffer a much worse defeat they have ever suffered in any election. This time they will not be defeated by vote. This time they won’t be able to complain that “we bought the votes.”

This time is all about who will win over the students’ hearts.

The students’ hearts are right there to be part of the blood and the way of the further functioning of this ruling majority and this government that should learn great lessons and make great changes in terms of the way it approaches to the problems, thanks to the slap it has received.

Thank you!

***

My namesake, Rama Luan, said that students have the right to take us all out of this room, but this is your case because you were forced to start operating illegally and influence the protest in disguise.

The first new justice bodies were created a day ago. The High Prosecutorial Council, the High Judicial Council followed the establishment of the Justice Appointments Council. Meanwhile, as to their proposal, I would say it is neither a procedural matter, neither a matter of budget that has been already forwarded to the President, but their proposals are proposals made in order to never be fulfilled.

The way I read the student protest is like this. First, the protest is a slap to the government. Second, the protest is a fist to the opposition; and third, the protest is hope for the society.

The society calls for solution and the solutions come through dialogue only. The government has the solution and will provide it through dialogue.