"Security, one of the weak links" - yesterday he praised the police, today he raises the alarm: how Ervin Hoxha's narrative changed

What happened?

Former Interior Minister Ervin Hoxha reacted after a serious accident in Durrës, where a drunk driver speeding on a neighborhood road caused a fatal incident.

Hoxha requested urgent intervention in the internal streets of neighborhoods, describing them as spaces where security standards and constant police control are lacking.

"I can say that we have several problems that we face today; security remains one of the weak links that requires immediate intervention. We cannot accept that internal roads turn into life-threatening spaces," he declared.

context

The statement comes after the tragic accident in Durrës, which has revived the debate on road safety in the neighborhood, where according to Hoxha himself, the problem remains the lack of control and traffic standards. He admitted that interventions on the main roads have progressed, but according to him, "the situation within the neighborhoods remains exposed to danger."

Essentially, the debate following the event is not just related to an isolated accident, but to the safety control model, where vehicle traffic often falls outside of unified road policing standards.

What did Hoxha say when he was a minister?

During his time in office, Hoxha maintained a significantly more optimistic line on the security situation in the country.

On September 23, 2024, during a report to the Security Committee, Hoxha, while speaking about crime in the country, only temporary fluctuations, emphasized that in the 8-month balance, "security was almost in the same parameters as last year."

"The security situation in the country is in very good parameters and we compare it with EU countries. Albania has also seen an increase in the number of tourists this year. It is true that in August we had an increase in murders compared to other months, but in the statistics for the 8 months, we are almost in the same security parameters as last year ," Hoxha declared.

Along the same lines, he emphasized that the State Police was a consolidated and professional structure, placing emphasis on modernization and increasing citizen trust.

Contrast of attitudes

The change in tone is noticeable: from a period when security was described as "in good parameters" and the police as "professional and consolidated", today Hoxha speaks of a "lack of control", "dangerous internal roads" and the need for urgent intervention.

This contrast raises the question of the real assessment of the security situation: has there been a rapid deterioration of the situation on the ground, or a change in political optics after leaving executive office?

This shift in discourse comes at a time when the debate about public safety has resurfaced, especially in urban areas, raising questions about the effectiveness of road control policies and the real level of police presence on the ground.

The tragedy in Durrës and the debate about security

The incident in Durrës, where Nikoll Radacci fatally hit two children, aged 10 and 12, while they were playing in front of their apartment, has revived the debate on road safety. Precisely on this occasion, Hoxha today calls for stronger control measures and security standards within neighborhoods, emphasizing that these areas cannot remain out of the police's attention./ Politiko.al