Today, at 12:00, the Democratic Party has called its supporters to gather in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, while at 14:00 students have announced a gathering in front of the Ministry of Education, from where they will then march toward the Prime Minister’s Office. The PD presents its protest as support for the student movement. But support and representation are two different things.
Can these two protests coexist? Yes, if the independence of the students is respected. But politically there is a clear contradiction: the PD demands Rama’s departure, while that part of the students who demand prison for Rama and Berisha opposes both leaders of Albanian politics.
Being against the same prime minister does not mean seeking the same future. For Democrats, change may mean the PD’s return to power. For students who also oppose Berisha, that return does not meet the demand for change.
Today’s test will be exactly this: will the PD support the students’ voice even when it is directed against its own leader? And will the students preserve the leadership, demands and identity of their protest?
The square can hold both protests. It remains to be seen whether politics will accept a protest that also opposes it.