Ramiz Alia’s speech, January 23, 1990: “In our country, there is no tradition of pluralism; hegemony belongs to the Party of Labour

At the end of the 1980s, while one after another the dictatorial and totalitarian communist regimes that had ruled Eastern Europe since the end of World War II were collapsing even executing some of their leaders, as happened in Romania with Nicolae Ceaușescu in Albania, the Party of Labour of Albania (PPSH) not only failed to reflect on making the necessary changes, but acted contrary to what was expected by the international community and the Albanian people themselves, who, more than any other European country, had felt the harsh weight of the communist dictatorship under Enver Hoxha and his successor, Ramiz Alia.

Although almost 35 years have passed since then, and those events remain fresh in the memory of all Albanians, some former PLA officials and high-ranking representatives have, in their memoirs or in numerous articles published in the press after the 1990s, tried to portray the PLA and its leader at the time, Ramiz Alia, as promoters of the democratic movements that eventually reached Albania.

However, various PLA documents such as the one we are publishing today (note that it is incomplete, as it was prepared for internal use and included cuts at the time) show the opposite of what these former leaders and officials claim. This is evident in this document, which summarizes the Ninth Plenum and includes Ramiz Alia’s speech.

Archival document from the Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee of the PLA

The Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee of the PLA convened on January 22–23, 1990. Based on the speech delivered by Comrade Ramiz Alia, it examined issues that arose during the implementation of the decisions of the Eighth Plenum and determined tasks for further revolutionary development of the Party’s life across the country, through deepening socialist democracy, increasing the role of the working masses, and improving economic relations. In this meeting, the Central Committee also conducted a thorough analysis of current developments in Eastern European countries and defined the party’s stance toward them.

The Central Committee of the PLA on changes in the East

The Central Committee noted:

The political changes that occurred in Eastern Europe in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania brought right-wing forces to power. The bourgeoisie and international reactionaries seek and work to destroy anything that might recall socialism. In bourgeois propaganda, the socialist ideal has been declared outdated. The reaction presents communism as a threatening phantom—not to the bourgeoisie, but to the people.

The counter-revolutionary process in Eastern European countries was carried out with the encouragement and intervention of Western reactionaries and the Soviet Union. However, it was also supported by the working masses, who became disillusioned by revisionist rule, bureaucracy, violence, and economic stagnation. The unfortunate reality is that the peoples of these countries experienced these phenomena as products of the socialist system and of Marxism-Leninism.

Our Party, rightly in its titanic struggle against revisionism, has focused on tearing away the “socialist” masks and exposing “Marxist” speculations. Albanian communists understood and fought, to the extent possible, with the means and strength available, to help people recognize the danger of compromising socialism, its ideology, and its revolutionary politics.

But the tragedy occurred. We experience this tragedy with pain, yet certainly without despair.

The Soviet Union’s objectives for Albania

Comrade Enver emphasized that one of the main sources influencing the emergence and development of revisionism was bureaucratism and liberalism. Now, more than three decades after the appearance of revisionism, a deeper analysis of this phenomenon would allow us to identify the mechanisms within the socialist system that should have played a greater role in strengthening it but were neglected. In the Soviet Union, it was recognized that bureaucratism was increasing and that it posed a serious risk.

However, bureaucratism there was not fought by addressing its opposite that is, by increasing the role of the masses and strengthening socialist democracy but rather through the reinforcement and perfection of administration, the regulation of every aspect of Party activity, the state, and social relations, and by increasing vertical centralization. Likewise, Soviet liberalism was combated through administrative methods. It was confronted with dogma rather than debate and arguments, with general principles rather than problem-solving. This created conditions for individuals and groups, especially from the intelligentsia, to grow disillusioned with socialism. It was here that the bourgeoisie found dissidents, and here the revisionist clique found its social base.

The international bourgeoisie, including the Soviet leadership, aims to carry out in Albania the same counter-revolutionary processes that took place in Eastern Europe. For this purpose, significant pressures have been applied and will continue to be applied. Although these demands are disguised with slogans about democracy and human rights, the objective is the overthrow of popular power and the elimination of our independence, freedom, and socialist achievements.

The Plenum of the Central Committee emphasizes that the Albanian people will defend their hard-won freedom and independence, as well as socialism, as their most precious possession with determination, by any means, and without hesitation. Our people have chosen their own path of development and will not allow anyone to interfere in their internal affairs. Only the Albanian people know what must be done for the socialist construction process to move forward. In Albania, the people are sovereign; they alone control their destiny. Socialist construction in our country has made great progress. We have now entered a broad front in a new phase of intensive development, where qualitative factors increasingly come to the forefront.

How will we preserve our power?

Keeping in mind the tasks set by the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee, evaluating achievements, and considering the demands of the present time while learning lessons from events in Eastern European countries, with the aim of guaranteeing socialist continuity, and the freedom and independence of the homeland the Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee unanimously decided:

To strengthen the internal political and economic situation in order to withstand external pressures, whether political, military, or economic. The masses must be made aware that the bourgeoisie and international reactionaries, as demonstrated by the events in Eastern Europe, aim to destroy socialism, restore the old system of exploitation and oppression, eliminate the freedom won, and erase national independence and sovereignty.

The fundamental tasks for the Party are:

To improve the Party’s political and propaganda work. It is necessary for people to understand the essence of the struggle being waged today against socialism, and in particular against our country. Behind demagogic slogans—such as those about protecting human rights, political pluralism, and democratic development—lies the counter-revolutionary aim of reactionary forces and the bourgeoisie to seize freedom and independence from the people.

To achieve this, work must be intensified with mass organizations, the Democratic Front, BRPSH, BPSH, BGSH, and other social organizations. The press, radio, television, and Party propaganda must fully improve their work, ensuring that the Party’s message reaches the masses effectively and quickly, communicated not through slogans or general phrasing, but with convincing and understandable arguments.

In propaganda activities, the most responsible and qualified Party cadres, as well as specialists and activists from various fields, must participate actively.

How will we work on relations with the outside world?

The Plenum assessed the achievements of Albania’s foreign policy. It confirmed that the diplomatic and political role of our country in the Balkan Peninsula and other Mediterranean countries has grown. Albania’s authority, as a country with comprehensive stability, remains unwavering. Foreign policy has become an important factor in guaranteeing and enhancing socialist achievements. Albania has pursued and will continue to pursue a policy of peace and friendly cooperation with other countries. This has been and will remain its line, even under the conditions created by events in Eastern Europe.

Isolation has neither been desired nor sought by us; it was never, and does not constitute, the political line of the Party of Labour or the Albanian state. It has been desired and would be desired only by Albania’s enemies. Therefore, at all times, our stance regarding the outside world must be active both in political relations and cooperation, as well as in cultural and economic engagement.

The Plenum, for the further development of relations between our country and the outside world, set the following measures:

Work on strengthening relations with neighboring countries and the entire Balkan region. Develop close attention to new developments in the region and prepare all necessary conditions to fully achieve the objectives of the meeting of the foreign ministers of our peninsula, to be held this year in Tirana.

Monitor developments in Europe and multilateral political, economic, and cultural activities taking place there, and, keeping national interests in mind, define appropriate positions.

The Party of Labour of Albania (PPSH) will maintain relations with any state that responds to the friendship we offer with friendship.

Ramiz Alia’s Speech

Comrades, today’s meeting is, in a way, a continuation of the work of the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee. To facilitate the discussions in this Central Committee meeting, allow me to present some thoughts that may serve as a basis for a fruitful discussion. Since the Eighth Plenum, only about four months have passed, but the international political situation has changed significantly. In Eastern European countries Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the GDR, Bulgaria, and Romania major changes have taken place. It is observed that these countries, while remaining members of the Warsaw Pact, are expanding ties with the West, particularly in economic relations, but also politically.

They are establishing connections with Western socialist and social-democratic parties, moving closer to, and aiming to join, the European Union, and strengthening links with the IMF and other Western institutions. Western countries are promoting these new changes in Eastern Europe. Under calls for free elections and political pluralism, for the creation of as many parties and groups as possible, they seek to destroy everything that recalls socialism.

Ramiz Alia: The Bush–Gorbachev accord

The events in Eastern Europe, in a general sense, are not unexpected for us. What happened had already been predicted for decades by our Party and comrade Enver, and at the time, very few outside believed it. For more than 30 years, since Khrushchev emerged on the scene in the Soviet Union, and later with the acceptance of Khrushchevism and Brezhnevism by Eastern European countries, we spoke of the restoration of capitalism there and the process of returning to bourgeois society, which we considered complete.

However, in the current events, something new appears: in Poland, the Communist Party is no longer in power, being in opposition, while Solidarity took control; in the German Democratic Republic, Honecker left, and a group called the Democratic Forum is taking over; in Czechoslovakia, Husák left and Dubček returned, and so on. These events have multiple consequences, requiring new ideological, political, and economic analyses. The changes in Eastern Europe are not opposed by the Soviet Union.

In fact, it has inspired and encouraged them, although in some cases, as in the GDR, they got out of control, or in others, like Poland and Hungary, the hand of Western bourgeoisie was more present. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union does not allow Eastern European countries to form political-military alliances with the West, nor to leave the Soviet sphere of influence, and certainly not to turn into anti-Soviet strongholds, as “sanitary cordons” existed before World War II. This was the main purpose of the Bush–Gorbachev meeting in Malta, and they agreed on this. The events in the East, besides generating euphoria, have also raised some concerns in the West.

Some political issues arose, such as the German question and the future status of military pacts and economic unions, but no less concerning were the problems related to overcoming the crises in Eastern European countries. Nevertheless, all parties agreed that these processes should be encouraged, as overall they favor capitalism.

Alia: “We have no tradition of pluralism”

At the Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania (PPSH), Ramiz Alia stated that Albania had no tradition of political pluralism and that hegemony belonged to the PLA. He emphasized:

“Multiple parties in the East have their base in deep social-class changes that once existed and re-emerged and deepened during the years when the revisionists were in power. Society there became divided and polarized; classes and strata with different interests emerged that could not be represented by a single party that was not theirs.

Now, each of these groups seeks its share of power. We have declared for the hegemony of the Party of Labour, being aware that this is a basic condition for socialist construction, which also aligns with the objective circumstances of our country. Historically, looking back to the time of King Zog’s regime, Albania had no separate political parties. During the fascist occupation, for the first time, political parties and organizations were created. The first was the Communist Party of Albania, today’s Party of Labour.”

From the first day, uncompromisingly against fascism

From its very first day, the Party fought uncompromisingly against fascism, for a free, democratic, and popular Albania. Immediately after its creation, in reaction, the organizations “Balli Kombëtar” and later “Legaliteti” were formed. These two groups, representing the wealthy classes and monarchist partisans, failed to become politically influential parties because from the outset, they appeared as collaborationist organizations, serving the Italian and German fascist occupiers, and thus were considered anti-national. As such, the people did not follow them.

In the context of our country, calls by the international bourgeoisie for multi-party pluralism essentially meant reviving “Balli Kombëtar” and “Legaliteti,” or creating other similar antisocialist, anti-national political organizations. This would not represent democracy but would serve to weaken national unity and create conditions for the destruction of socialism.

Alia: “Pluralism for us is in the village councils and elders’ chambers”

The existence of various mass organizations—such as trade unions, veterans’ associations, women’s groups, and youth unions was presented by the PLA to the international community as evidence of genuine democracy in Albania. Moreover, not only for the international audience but also domestically, at the start of 1991, the PLA intended that these organizations, which were its instruments, would compete as separate political entities in the first pluralist elections.

Regarding this, in his speech at the Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee, PLA leader Ramiz Alia stated:

“The absence of multiple parties, according to the bourgeois critique, is allegedly a lack of democracy. This is not true. We did not have multiple parties, but free discussion and the democratic resolution of the people’s problems in village assemblies, councils of elders, and community chambers is a long-standing tradition. Our Party, nourished by the wisdom and ideas of the people, has elevated this tradition greatly.

It has made the direct participation of the masses in planning and implementing the country’s economic and cultural development, and in discussing any issue of public interest, a method of its work. This is carried out through various organizations and associations, such as the Democratic Front, the Youth Union, the Women’s Union, trade unions, veterans’ associations, the Writers’ League, and scientific societies. Naturally, we are not satisfied with the current state. Deepening the mass line, which forms the essence of our socialist democracy, must remain at the center of our attention. In this concept, the development of democracy within the Party is a requirement.”

“KORÇA BOOM”