Who will save the Western Balkans from the organised crime?

(First published at the Next Generation’s Leaders Global Network, in December 2018)

Since 2017, an open and intensified call to fight the organised crime in Albania joins the ever-growing demand of international partners to the countries of Western Balkans to change the course of history once and forever. The region is about to stop being the heaven of crime, tensions and instability, and is encouraged to advance towards democracy and prosperity for the citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia.

For this to happen, US Embassy in Tirana and the Delegation of the European Union in the Albanian capital have been providing strong support and encouragement in the past 3 years. As the situation escalates among politicians who oppose the vetting process and judicial reform in Albania, the international partners seem to be firm in supporting the reform and the fight against the organised crime.

However, despite these continuous efforts, uneasiness is present in the country and in the whole region. Something is missing…something significant: the trust of Balkan people on their own politicians, justice systems, governments and even international partners. Too much has been promised for too long, and the region is still struggling. Citizens suffer the consequences of wars, crimes, corruptions, oligarchies, monopolies and live in poverty and unemployment whilst the politicians in the Balkans are very rich, powerful, controllers of the justice systems and the biggest barrier to the countries’ development and propensities.

As the settings for the fight against organised crime and corruption are being finalised, more than international support, the countries need courageous  leaders who would be ready to serve causes greater then themselves, to help Balkans get out of the hole, and to help restore faith in government and in the future of the region. Can the Balkan countries produce such leaders?

Hiding roots in the Balkans

Ever since the communism collapse and former Yugoslavia dismantling, countries in the Western Balkans have struggled to come to terms with a functional democracy. Wars, tensions and ethnic conflicts contributed to making the region poor and unsafe.

As the slow process towards European Union had an impact in helping countries to bring stability and hope in the region, another threat started to rule the countries: the organised crime. Rooted in the turbulent past, very poor economic development and high unemployment rates, organised crime found the perfect ground to grow sophisticated in various forms in the Western Balkans.

The alarming expansion of organised crime and drug dealing has continuously caused the Western Balkans to be treated as a dangerous place of production, destination and storage of drugs and trafficking. EU and USA agencies speak of the region as a place where multiple forms of organised economic and financial crimes are committed (U.S. Department of State, 2016).  The so-called “Balkan Route” used by the criminal groups to transport drugs from Afghanistan or Latin America to Western Europe, has increased the intensity and levels of crime and corruption at the highest political levels in the Balkan countries. 

One current issue above all – Cannabis and organised crime in Albania

In the recent months, the most reported issue is the cultivation and trade of cannabis sativa from Albania to Western Europe. According to Italian media (Il Fatto Quotidiano, 2017) since 2011, the criminal groups have strengthened their operations on a global scale with support from political elites in Albania. Intense investigations by Italian authorities revealed in October 2017 that drug dealing and transportation to Western Europe was allegedly facilitated by high level officials in Tirana. Following these reports, the former minister of interior affairs is under investigation. The whole scandal involving organised crimes and politics has increased the impatience among Albanian citizens who claim they want truth and justice without compromise.

The country has been hoping to restore its faith in the justice system and political elite since the reform on the judiciary started a few years ago, with the U.S. Embassy and the European Delegation to Tirana being fully supportive of the reform. Repetitive and bold encouragement from both sides started to become intense especially regarding the vetting process for the judges, prosecutors and public officials. According to the Albanian citizens, the results of the reforms are not meaningful yet!

 USA and EU get loud and clear

With the latest developments and the Italian investigations on the organised crime and drug controlling groups, the U.S. took a clearer lead in the process.

On October 2^nd, addressing the new judges and prosecutors at the Albanian School of Magistrates, the U.S. ambassador made a strong statement, much to the surprise and content of the Albanian people, when he said: “Until the big fish are arrested, prosecuted and go to jail, the cannabis will return, judges will be bribed and government officials will be corrupted”

The statement caught the country off guard, as real names and family clans were revealed. According to the U.S. State Department, four major clans control 20 crime families that manage criminal operations in drug dealing, human trafficking, blackmail and money laundering in the country where there is rampant corruption and a very weak legal system.

Due to this weak and captured legal system, criminal leaders are almost never prosecuted. The U.S. Ambassador made a remark on the epidemic organised crime in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s and how it was solved by an inter-agency task force that targeted mafia leaders, and succeeded because prosecutors, police and financial crime experts agreed to work together and serve a cause far greater than themselves: to save America from the organised crime. The Ambassador called for Albanian institutions and agencies to do the same: work together to fight the organised crime.

An inter agency task force was subsequently launched on November 7^th, when FBI special agents landed in Albania to help the new task force in the challenging fight. The task force and the FBI help are there to stay, until the first significant arrests and prosecutions are made in January 2018.

The U.S. Ambassador and the EC delegate wanted to reinforce that this time the efforts are real, as not free lunch is offered to the system. Both sides are investing and they expect results: “We expect that this aggressive plan by the Albanian Government will result in the arrest and prosecution of several big fish early next year, and that this success will continue in 2018.  Albania’s international partners expect this. The people of Albania demand and deserve this”

The same tone was used by the US Embassy in the statement released after politicians used smoke grenades and violence in the parliament whilst a new general prosecutor was being elected. The US Embassy emphasised: “The people of Albania should not be surprised that their politicians are fighting amongst themselves. This means the judicial reform is finally being implemented…The Vetting Commissions will soon have their first results. We will soon see the creation of the SPAK and BKH to investigate and prosecute high-level corrupt officials.  The people of Albania are impatient for justice.   And the politicians are afraid”

Indeed. People are impatient for justice. Politicians are afraid. No results in sight.

Who will take the country out of the mess?

Albanians. Their justice system and the elected officials. And the support of international partners – would be the logical answer.

There are two issues in this long-awaited promise: Firstly, until now, continuously and openly, the Albanian criminal justice have failed to deal with criminal groups or corrupted politicians. Secondly, the lack of trust in the justice and political system has intensified and is spread in the clear luck of trust and scepticism of the Albanian people in the international partners. Both U.S.A. and EU have delivered numerous statements claiming that they will help Albanian people by influencing their leaders and institutions to set the country free of organised crime and corruption. So far, they have failed. Repeatedly!

Although the latest statements are stronger and bolder than ever, assuring Albanians on behalf of the U.S. that the fight against organised crime will be strong and irreversible, people are very sceptical that anything significant will happen in January.

Why? There are no precedent models of support from the international agencies, despite numerous promises to do so. And second, sadly, no Albanian leader is willing to put himself in trouble to save its own country.

Leaders needed. Of what kind?

Prominent politicians from all sides are being investigated and are at a high risk of being prosecuted. If they are, corruption and organised crime will start to fade in Albania and will open new opportunities of economic and democratic prosperity for the country. For this to happen, its leaders have to look beyond their personal interest.

Will they be able to? It is not easy to say, in a country which has just removed the criminals from the parliament. Difficult to believe it because the politicians do not stand or fight against organised crime, as they do not seem to care about the country’s interest and values.

Albanian civil activists say that the country is not a nation of drugs and crime. The history is rooted in tales, legend and documents of men and women’ commitment to do the best for the country, often in history at the expense of the leader’s life, at the expense of the best Albanians fighting for the greatest good for all.

The ideals and lasting values are being disregarded by current politicians, who are accused of living luxurious lives, seeking personal success, monetary gains and privileged statuses, making their lives comfortable, easing the paths for their own children, securing the best for them and their families, at the expense of the average citizens.

Will any of these politicians be ready to sacrifice for Albania and invest their career and life with the prominence of the cause?

No guarantees. There are no good examples on the modern history of politicians who have spent their lives to serve the country and its ideals. No politician yet has shown any willingness or veracity that would cover the weaknesses of their own character.

Albania needs leaders who do not fear each-other, nor justice. Leaders who are brave enough to defend the ideals of the fellow citizens.

It is imperative that these leaders have a personal conviction that organised crime is wrong and fight this cause for a better future.

Same as every other country in the Western Balkans, Albania seems ready and willing to overcome the stage of regress and uncertainty, but cannot do it alone. And not isolated. The partners that the nations have looked up to, the EU and the USA, should maintain robust support for the fight that has just started, and keep the door open for the Balkan’s nations to become part of the EU family.

The region has been excluded for too long. It is time to do the right thing, and to do it now:  help its’ people and invest in the emerging leaders to open a new chapter in each country and in the whole Balkans. Time is now!