Taulant Balla appears as one of the most loyal people to Edi Rama, because it is known that in politics, loyalty is an investment in the future and a reckoning for the day when the balance of power changes.
In the tense climate that has accompanied the recent protests and debates within the left, some voices in the Socialist Party see Balla as one of the figures who could politically benefit from the departure of MP Marjana Koçeku from the parliamentary group. They say under their breath that he is the happiest person from this movement. Balla follows the logic that every voice that goes outside the official party line strengthens the positions of those who support the leader and control the political structures.
For years, Balla has been close to the center of power in the Socialist Party, defending the leadership's decisions and appearing as one of the most active voices. However, his removal from important positions and the elevation of other figures such as Elisa Spiropali to key positions have created the perception that he no longer enjoys the same influence he once had. For this, he often expresses his dissatisfaction in close groups of friends. Balla still cannot digest his departure from the head of the parliamentary group, from the post of secretary general or as Minister of the Interior.
But despite all this, he continues to “play” the most zealous defender of leadership, maintaining his proximity to power and waiting for the moment when this proximity can be turned into political capital again. According to this perspective, he is presented as a politician who never leaves the center of decision-making, despite personal ups and downs.
Albanian political history has shown that the relationships between leaders and their most loyal collaborators rarely remain unchanged. When power is strong, the loyal serve to protect it; when it weakens, it is often the same people who seek to fill the empty space that is created, and Rama knows this. Therefore, the question that arises today is not how loyal Taulant Balla is to Edi Rama. The question is whether this loyalty stems from political conviction or from calculations for the future.
After all, Albanian politics has produced quite a few cases where a leader's closest allies have subsequently become his greatest rivals. Suffice it to recall the case of Lulzim Basha, who from being Sali Berisha's chosen successor and closest collaborator, turned into his political opponent. A testament to the fact that in politics loyalty is often temporary, while ambition remains permanent.
