In less than two weeks, local elections will be held in Albania, and the Socialist Party of Albania has made an impressive move by allocating a portion of their campaign budget to plant trees in every city across the country.
Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, has stated that his and his party’s goal after these elections is to leave something positive for future generations. Hence, the slogan “Only Forward. Never Backwards.”
He added that citizens are weary of negativity and severe discourse in every election campaign and that, unlike his opponents, his party does not need to contaminate the social environment of the citizens of Albania with shouting, bullying, and political games.
Instead, the party adopts a long-term perspective and demonstrates a dedication to the welfare of Albanian citizens.
Edi Rama of Albania plans to plant trees in every city as part of his election campaign.
“We have decided to have a minimal appearance of large screens, pompous scenes, and advertising materials,” Rama stated at the campaign launch event. “We want to demonstrate that a campaign does not need to leave a wake of trash, pollution, and negativity,” he added.
The initiative has generated a favorable response from the Albanian populace. By accompanying the Prime Minister at rallies and planting trees together, many have shown their support for the initiative, viewing it as a welcome departure from traditional political campaigns that are solely focused on winning ballots.
If you believe this strategy to be naive or foolhardy, you are unfamiliar with Edi Rama. This initiative does not come as a surprise, as it exemplifies Rama’s citizen-centric, longstanding innovative and inventive approach to governance. During his two and a half tenure in office, Rama has prioritized enhancing the well-being and quality of life of Albanians.
In 2004, Rama was awarded the “World Mayor” trophy for transforming Tirana into a tourist destination by repainting the building facades. As part of his Tirana City Master Plan, Rama planted thousands of trees, widened and constructed new roads, and expanded existing ones.
” Now there is a new, colorful, cheerful Tirana with a modernized infrastructure and cultural life.”
Rama was commended by the United Nations Development Program for an additional reason. According to a UNDP report, Rama played a crucial role in the modernization of local administrations, empowering municipalities and granting them, for the first time, the ability to influence the community’s existence.
Due to his efforts, the citizens of Tirana elected him mayor for a decade. He was awarded Time magazine’s European Hero Award.
In addition to the tree-planting initiative, Rama has increased remuneration in the public sector, raised the minimum and average wage in the country, and is working to convince the private sector to follow suit.
During his tenure as head of state, he has made significant advances in digitalization, the rule of law, and anti-corruption policies. His government has instituted e-government services, easing citizens’ access to public services and reducing red tape. He has also prioritized fortifying the rule of law, combating corruption, and promoting government transparency.
With the election less than two weeks away, it won’t be long before we discover how effective this innovative tree-planting campaign was.
Certainly, if it does, it could provide a thrilling opportunity and potential for the global transformation of electoral campaigns, not just in Albania, but possibly globally as well.