Veliaj with the young socialists: SP the only force that supports the youth
2024-07-14 12:44:19
TiranaPost
This weekend, the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, was invited to "Get in the Game", a debate competition among young socialists, who are voting for the first time, with whom he shared some thoughts, suggestions, but also discussed the importance of youth participation in politics. He was also accompanied by the Minister of Local Government, Arbjan Mazniku.
In the Jala camp, where a competition between 6 teams took place for 3 days, in which young people learned how to form a team, debate, speak in public, etc., Veliaj said that the battles in politics should be between ideas and alternatives that bring progress to the country. He added that violence should not be what defines politics.
"When I see people burning tires, burning the flag, I don't say that all those who support that party are bad because I'm sure they are very normal people - I know some of them, I have friends with them, I had them at school , some I have known during my career - but division into different uniforms or political teams should not turn into war. It should definitely be a battle between ideas that advance the country, the city more, and it should not be violence or the degradation of the image of the other that determines political action. Unfortunately, this is not understood by everyone. Therefore, I have a lot of hope that the generation you represent will be a generation that understands, because you will be the ones who will lead Albania, Tirana and other municipalities tomorrow", said Veliaj.
According to him, the new generation of politicians will be a generation where, at the center of the political debate, there will be ideas and not violence. "The question is: Will we learn from history? We must learn that the new generation does not come with the verbal culture of violating the other, of insulting the other, of lowering the reputation of the other, but comes with a sense of competition with ideas. I hope you are this generation. Harry Truman used to say: 'You do your best, history does the rest'. Responsibility is personal and everyone should do their best", Veliaj declared.
The mayor of Tirana also focused on the importance of involving young people in politics. "I don't think there is a magic wand to get people involved. If politics does not speak for the interests of the people, but speaks only for its own interests, it is more normal that certain groups, which do not hear their name or cause, are not involved. In the last elections, in the Municipality of Tirana, after the young people in the Municipal Council insisted that we make the subscription free for students and pay 50% of the cost for the new dormitories, all of a sudden, an audience [students] who previously felt including, that he thought 'I came from another city', 'I haven't registered in Tirana yet', 'I'm not on their radar' or 'I'm part of a small group of people who travel by bus', he suddenly said: - I have to listen to them because they are talking about me, I am the one who uses the bus and get the free pass, I am the one who is starting life in Tirana, first entering from the neighborhood called 'Student City', before that I can graduate, create a family and get a job in Tirana'", stated Veliaj.
The Minister of State for Local Government, Arbjan Mazniku, emphasized the importance of young people's participation in politics. "In general, people, and especially young people, have somewhat of a bad opinion about politics. Countries and rightfully so, because they see a part of politics, where some people fight with others, fight in Parliament, throw Molotov cocktails, fight, shout, insult the other, 'you're a thief, you're a mask' . It's fair to say that some people are embarrassed by this, but one of the expressions that has always made me think is: 'If you think you're too good at politics, your curse for the job is that you will be governed by people who are inferior to you,'' he said.
