People's beach

2025-08-12 18:44:00, Opinione Ardi Stefa

I remember when I lived in Greece for about 20 years, whenever politicians and the media wanted to avoid something, they would use an expression, metaphorically, but also in a literal sense: “The people's beach” (“Τα μπ?νια του λαο?”).

It was first used by Andreas Papandreou when he decided not to hold early elections in the summer of 1987, with the excuse that "we will not spoil the people's beach", he meant it seriously.

After all, swimming in the sea and going to the beach in Greece was conceived as a victory for the people in the 1950s, who would escape from everyday life, lower the shutters, empty their minds, and relax.

With bags in their arms and buses full, Greek families in post-war Greece flocked to the beaches to relax. A towel on the sand and a watermelon in hand, this was the lifestyle of the time.

While the people were relaxing, politics, seemingly, was going on vacation; in reality, it was working, working, working so that when the beachgoers returned in the fall, they would find themselves faced with fait accompli and start the political, social, and economic stress all over again.

The same thing in Albania. Beach, beach, beach... Rubber balls, bread with watermelon and white cheese, card games and diving in the sea. Over the decades, social differences became clearer and summer vacations not only required a large budget, but also often seemed unattainable. The middle class was where it was: somewhere in the middle, between ideal vacations and safe bathing.

Routine...
And then, times changed, they became a luxury, but a luxury that suited the "fathers of the nation "!

In Albania, in July and August, under the pretext of summer vacation, everything is paralyzed, a long phase of calm where public life slows down to the point of paralysis. Politics is silenced, institutions disappear from public attention, the media follows VIPs to the coast, civil society seems to enter a seasonal hibernation.

But does Albania have the luxury of enduring two months of institutionalized vacuum, without significant political and social developments? Is this summer calm a need for reflection and rest, or a symptom of a state that is not functioning sustainably?

In a country like Albania, where economic, institutional and social challenges are daily and numerous, the idea that political and social dynamics can stop for two months is dangerous. Not only does it create a vacuum in public life, but it also gives room for stagnation, forgetfulness and disregard for issues that require immediate attention.

In countries with consolidated institutions, the political calendar may be quieter during the summer, but the work does not stop. Parliamentary committees continue, crises are managed, controls remain active, and civil society does not sleep.

In Albania, every debate, initiative or investigation is "postponed until after August", every reform, every initiative, every movement.

Even the media, which should maintain its critical and supervisory role, often shifts from chronicling political analysis to light headlines, embracing the sensationalism of summer: beaches, temperatures, accidents and VIP parties or misguided people who walk around like clowns with flags and guards and warn of shocking developments... Meanwhile, healthcare, justice, corruption, electoral reform, transparency and accountability disappear from the public radar.

And I am returning to the example I brought earlier with the former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Metaphorically and realistically, the “people's beach” launched by A. Papandreou is nothing more than an extraordinary political metaphor, which, built and exploiting the psychology of the people, maintains the status quo of power over the people.

Unfortunately, this reality is not a luxury. It is indicative of a system that has not yet built a culture of continuous operation, independent of individuals and the season. A country that stops because "it is not the time to deal with these things" is a country that does not yet have the luxury of resting.

To change this dynamic, more than political rhetoric is required. It requires continued institutional commitment, a media that does not lower its vigilance, and a civil society that understands that challenges do not take a break.

Because Albania needs rhythm, accountability, and continuity. And above all, it needs institutions that don't get heated up by the head and cooled by the sea.