Interview with a comrade of the
Communist Party of Albania

From La Nostra Lotta
Organization for the Communist Party of the Proletariat of Italy
March, 1997

(This interview was made during the first week of March, at the beginning of the great mass movement.)

Q: What are the causes that have provoked this great movement of struggle?

A: The collapse of the financial schemes is due to the enemy of the people, Sali Berisha, but this has only been the spark of the crisis. This past year the social climate has become explosive due to the collapse of almost all economic activity, the crisis of education, the failure to pay pensions, the mass unemployment, the lack of goods of prime necessity, the fall in living standards in general.

Q: What is the political content of this popular movement?

A: We are undoubtedly dealing with a popular struggle against all the pro-U.S. policies of Sali Berisha. Certainly in this movement all the anti-Berisha forces are represented, but this is a struggle which on the economic and social level pursues popular objectives, it is a defense of the fundamental interests of the masses. On the political level, these are freedom, national sovereignty, real democracy for the people.

 Q. What is, in general, the situation of your party?

A: Last summer, the party held a Congress (as did its youth organization) in the conditions of absolute illegality imposed by Berisha who has used all possible means of violence. Two comrades of the Central Committee were arrested for the simple possession of political materials and sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment The Communist Party of Albania follows the line of Comrade Enver Hoxha, for socialism, liberty and independence.

Lately the party has been greatly strengthened and is present throughout the country, especially in the south and in the big cities in general, and it is increasing its membership among the youth.

Q: What is the ideological situation of the Albanian masses?

A: There have been (and continue to be) great changes. We had an optimal situation, despite some negative phenomena, in 1985 at the time of the death of Comrade Enver Hoxha. With the transformation of the PLA (Party of Labor of Albania) into the Socialist Party, reformism has been spread, which opened the way to the "Democratic" reaction of Berisha.

There were great illusions about what capitalism would bring, but after the fraudulent election of Berisha in 1992 the masses very quickly had their eyes opened.

Q: What role is the Socialist Party playing?

A: This party has betrayed the ideals of socialism and communism and the interests of our homeland.

This party is linked to big European capital and has good relations with U.S. imperialism. It also has unofficial relations with the party of Berisha (who these days is using Serbian mercenaries) and is engaged with the counter-revolution. This is becoming ever more evident to the people.

Nonetheless the Albanians love liberty and our homeland, and the immortal examples of Skanderbeg and Enver Hoxha are in our hearts and memory.

Q: What is the perspective of this struggle, which serves as an example to all the peoples of Europe and the world?

A: The important thing is that this movement should extend to the whole country.

Our people should get rid of the influence of the traitors of the Socialist Party, they should not fall into the traps that world reaction is preparing, since foreign military intervention would mean suicide for our enemies.

Our Communist Party should become the leading force of the Albanians, who have fallen by the hundreds these days in the name of freedom and social justice.

Click here to return to Albania Index