The new fiscal package has sparked debate on the “Top Story” show, where analyst Arjon Sulo and journalist Alban Dudushi expressed different views on the purpose and impact of the measures proposed by the government. Arjon Sulo considers the package an attempt by Prime Minister Edi Rama to ease public discontent, while Alban Dudushi interprets it as a political signal that the government is responding to concerns raised by protesters.
During the discussion, Arjon Sulo argued that the new measures do not address the main causes of the economic difficulties facing Albanian families. According to him, the government is offering limited relief without changing the economic model. “Rama is doing this because of the protest, to throw a carrot, because the economic system is captured by the prime minister and his oligarchs with the model of concessions, PPPs, construction, coastal development”, Sulo said.
He raised concern about citizens’ purchasing power, stressing that a considerable share of families struggle to cover their monthly expenses. “We have 40% of families who have difficulty making ends meet”, the analyst stated, adding that, in his view, the solution requires deeper intervention in the way the economy functions.
Sulo also claimed that rising prices and costs in various sectors are linked to the circulation of dirty money and its impact on the economy. In this context, he described the package as a belated reaction to public discontent. “They did not rise up over oil and macaroni, Rama is late now”, he concluded, referring to the protests and the reasons that, in his view, had fueled them.
Alban Dudushi, on the other hand, viewed the package as a sign that the government is trying to respond to citizens’ concerns. According to him, the real impact of the measures will become clearer once they are implemented. “People don’t understand much about these issues, but they will feel it when it is implemented. They will go to the supermarket and see how much they bought with a certain amount of money and how much they can buy today”, Dudushi said.
He noted that, beyond the economic effect, the package also conveys a political message, interpreting it as an attempt by the prime minister to signal readiness for dialogue and reflection after the protests. The journalist also addressed the redistribution of the fiscal burden, pointing out that the measures aim to ease part of the economic pressure on citizens, while the middle class, in his view, is facing continuous shrinkage. Dudushi stressed that the initiative should not be interpreted as a final solution to public discontent. “I don’t believe he has defused the protest with this, but this is an act”, he concluded.