There is a strange paradox in Albanian politics: parties pride themselves on having brought capable professionals and people of integrity into public life, but they are often disappointed when the latter begin to behave precisely like professionals of integrity.

This is an important test for the democratic maturity of any political force. Especially for the Socialist Party, which, after many years in power, has had the opportunity to propose or support figures who today lead important and independent institutions. Some of them have chosen the most difficult path: to respect the law, preserve the independence of the institution and not see the duty as a form of gratitude to those who supported them politically.

In a country where citizens have often lost trust in institutions, these leaders represent a rare value. They have not been involved in corruption scandals. They have not used their positions to build personal privileges. They have not turned institutions into places of employment for political clients. They have not done favors or turned a blind eye to violations of the law.

However, it is precisely this behavior that seems to create dissatisfaction. Because in our political culture, the idea still survives that loyalty to the party should be stronger than loyalty to the law. That the leaders of institutions should be “our people,” ready to implement the political will even when it conflicts with the institutional mission.

But independent institutions are not party offices. Their leaders are not ordinary administrative directors, waiting for phone calls and instructions. They are not there to do nothing, to turn a blind eye, or to interpret the law according to the needs of the political moment. If they did so, they would lose their reason for existence.

In fact, the Socialist Party should be proud of these people. Because they represent the strongest proof that the country is moving away, however slowly, from the party state model. A political force is not measured by the ability to control every institution, but by the ability to respect the limits of its power.

A self-confident party does not need vassals. It does not need officials who carry out illegal orders or leaders who look from political headquarters before applying the law. On the contrary, it should invest in people who have the professional courage to say “no,” even when it is not to the liking of those in power.

After all, corruption does not just start with money. It begins when an institution loses its independence and when its leaders stop being servants of the law and become servants of political interests. This is precisely why leaders who refuse to be controlled are an asset to democracy, not a problem for governance.

Perhaps the question that should be asked is simple: what is more important for a political force, to have people who blindly obey it or people who respect the law? The answer to this question determines not only the quality of a party, but also the quality of our democracy.

If the Socialist Party has contributed to the emergence of public figures who have chosen integrity over subservience, then it should consider this as one of its most important achievements. Because power passes, governments change, but the example of people who defend the institution and the law remains.

And perhaps this is the highest standard that can be offered to Albania today: not institutions filled with obedient people, but institutions led by honest people. If the Socialist Party has contributed to the emergence of such figures in Albanian public life, then this is a reason for pride and not for dissatisfaction. Because integrity is not betrayal. On the contrary, it is the highest form of loyalty to the state and the public interest.

Because, ultimately, the true pride of a political force should not be how many people it controls, but how many people it has formed who are capable of not being controlled by anyone other than their professional conscience and their obligation to the law. These people are not a problem for politics. They are its greatest asset.