After sparking debate with his remarks about “Flamingo Boulevard,” Prime Minister Edi Rama chose to respond to critics with another divisive tone. In a post on X, he presented calls for his resignation as the voice of people with whom, according to his own version, he has “neither a political contract, nor besa.”
Rama’s reaction after the controversy
Rama wrote that the reactions that reached him after his remarks had come in different forms, including WhatsApp messages, while he also mentioned calls that, according to him, were heard below the window of his office.
In essence, the prime minister tried to clarify that his message was not for the critics, but for what he called the “lessons” learned from the flamingos. However, he again placed opponents in the same insulting frame, describing them as “black feathers” gathering on the boulevard.
“Crows and ravens,” the language used toward opponents
In his post, Rama called critics “crows and ravens” and described them as “the dark side of the protest.” This line of communication, used by the head of government himself, shifts the debate from the substance of the criticism to the labeling of those who voice it.
He insisted that these people have no connection to what he calls “our BESA,” stressing that he does not consider himself politically tied to them.
The political contract, according to Rama
According to Rama, his political relationship is not determined by those demanding his departure, but by the “800 thousand Albanians” who, according to him, have given him their vote. He called this a contract that cannot be undermined by calls for resignation.
The prime minister claims that his mandate stems from this electoral support and not from pressure by protesters or critics demanding that he step down.
The message on resignation and the timeframe mentioned
At the end of his reaction, Rama took a firm position: he said critics can continue to demand his resignation “until 2029 if they want,” but that, according to him, changes nothing in the relationship he claims to have with voters.
He added that freedom and democracy work the same for everyone, presenting the demand for his resignation as a right that can be exercised, but without any impact on his political mandate.
The prime minister’s latest reaction did not lower the tone of the debate, but sharpened it even further.
Instead of a political response to the criticism, the head of government once again chose labeling and a focus on the legitimacy of the vote, leaving the reasons for public dissatisfaction in the background.