The curse of the third and... fourth term...

2025-03-24 08:55:00, Opinione Ardi Stefa

Some time ago I published an article entitled: “The Prime Minister’s Three Envelopes”. The story is based on a true story, but it is actually an excellent metaphor for all those who love and understand politics.
The article began with a prime minister who, upon taking office, finds three envelopes from his predecessor on his desk.

Each envelope had a number, and the first envelope had the note on top: "Open and read it when you have difficulties that you can't solve!"

At the first difficulty, open the first envelope and read: "Blame the predecessor!"

In the next difficulty after a while he opens the second envelope and reads: "Blame your ministers!"

When he encounters the next difficulty, he opens the third envelope and reads: "Prepare the three letters for your successor!"

Maybe this doesn't have much to do with Albania, which has a pronounced lack of political culture, but I remember that article more and more every time prime ministers have difficulties, every time our political leaders fail to convince us.

However, I am convinced that in Albania the period when a prime minister or politician prepares letters in which he blames his predecessors and subordinates has long passed, until he comes to the third letter, when he will have to sit down and prepare three letters for his successor.

Usually, second terms, in normal democratic countries, begin with "tam-tam-e" and arrogance, but have a painful end. The fatigue is obvious, the powers that be leave, the mistakes increase, the accusations are convincingly articulated and, the prime ministers, before opening the third envelope, begin to convey the message under their breath, that society is to blame, read: the people! This is the curse of the second four-year term...

Very quickly, the words spoken under their breath become an argument that justifies inaction and the absolute fear of taking political risks.

In normal countries, the second term is also the last term for a prime minister. Otherwise, a third term shows that that country has serious problems with democracy.

But there is another curse, which we should not overlook: that of the third term. Especially when the prime minister falls into the trap of electoral triumph. On the one hand, it is normal, because he looks around and finds that there are no opponents, or his opponents are weakened. When he sees that his opponents are divided and in internal war with each other. Who sees that the opposition he faces is as he wants and is the most successful investment of the government.

There you begin to detach from reality and fall prey to the entourage, who caress your cheek (what politician doesn't like flattery?) showing you that there is no opponent who can defeat you. You fall prey to the entourage that treats you like a king; courtiers flatter you for profit and behind (in front of) your back they eat plums, figs and pears until their teeth are numb.

But life does not accept emptiness and loves surprises. Especially in politics.

The trap of the third term can be corrosive at first and destructive in the end, if it is not quickly eradicated from the leadership's mind. The feeling of not having an opponent causes intolerance of criticism, arrogance towards good advisors and, of course, costs...
When you are blinded by the third term, you begin to weigh the political cost of every move.

But politics is not a race or a contest about who will enter the Guinness Book of Records. We need ambition, but ambition for the country, for things to change radically. It may not work out politically, but at least someone will have fought the battle.

We are at the end of the third term and the winning of a fourth term...
And on the horizon...
Imagine what happens in the fourth term...

Because when today always blames yesterday, it is already guilty before tomorrow!

And Albanian politics is already responsible for tomorrow and seems guilty for the future that is coming very soon.

And, I return to the beginning of the article: "The third letter is still far, far from the Albanian political horizon and culture!"/ CNA