People’s Socialist Republic of Albania (Red World)

The People’s Socialist Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika Socialists Popullore Se Shqiperise) is a socialist nation that exists in an alternate world. Unlike the current timeline, in this alternate timeline, PSR Albania did not collapse but instead endured economic and some social reforms similar to neighboring Yugoslavia. An ardent Marxist regime, PSR Albania has endured a massive economic reformation in the early 1990s under Alia which saw the increase of foreign investment, capital, and the development of more jobs. Throughout the 1990s, PSR Albania also expanded relations with the United States (1992 agreements), China (1994), and the USSR (1995). In contrast to modern Albania’s timeline, PSR Albania did not endure a Ponzi scheme crisis in 1997 and saw continued economic growth and investment while pursuing an independent foreign policy. Emigration however became a significant problem.

History
The point of divergence between the real world timeline and this alternate world begins in 1990. Instead of abandoning communist vanguard rule, Ramiz Alia takes a different more radical economic reformist approach known as the “Great Reforms of 1990” (Reformat I Madh). In this economic plan, price controls were abolished, private ownership returned to the people, and the communist government established state owned companies under the rule of the people. Alia also sought to rebuild diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, China, and the United States. Alia’s main goal was to attract investors into Albania for cheap labor and goods. Still the problem of emigration mounted on the country with many younger Albanians escaping to Greece or Italy. In December 1990, Ramiz Alia ended the ban of religion in the nation and allowed religion to return. Still however the state limited their activities and most of the population remains atheists.

In 1991, Alia began a thorough process of de-Stalinizing Albania at the request of student protestors. The Sigurimi managed to successfully stamp out democratic protestors and keep Alia in charge. In August 1991, the Soviet Union normalized relations with PSR Albania. Albania also normalized relations with Yugoslavia and Greece and also announced full economic relations and trade between the two nations alongside Italy. Trade agreements were signed in October 1991 with Greek and Yugoslav investments pouring in.

In November 1991, Albania announced that it’ll reestablish relations with America after 46 years of hostility. The US embassy re-open in Tirana a month later.

Economic linkages between Albania and the US were established in 1992 as well with American companies beginning their investments into PSR Albania in the SEZ (Special Economic Zones) SRt up by the Marxist regime. Further cooperation between PSR Albania and Turkey was also announced in June 1992.

Despite the normalization of relations with the major world powers, Ramiz Alia made a speech in July 1992 stating that Albania will maintain a neutral foreign policy that is neither pro American nor pro Soviet. He also emphasized the Marxist character of PSR Albania and claimed that anyone threatening to destroy PSR Albania will be met with a counter response. PSR Albania also began to establish more links with Third World Nations like Cuba, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Myanmar in late 1992.

In 1993, Ramiz Alia became the Chairman for the International Communist Union, a new organization set up by the reformed Soviet Union to promote worker’s solidarity. Alia was selected for this year’s leader. Albania also saw promised economic growth and an expanding population of 3.3 million, despite mass emigration.

In 1994, Albania and China re-established economic links after 16 years of strained relations. Chinese companies began their investments into Albania. Furthermore the GDP of Albania began to expand rapidly in 1994. A year later, the USSR and Albania also established closer economic links in 1995. Albania & Germany also built economic relations during this period in 1996 with many cheaper products made in Albania and sold across Europe.

In 1997, ethnic tensions boiled over in Yugoslavia, in its Kosovo province. Ethnic Albanian, chiefly Hoxhaist cells were covertly supported by the Sigurimi. A guerilla war began in 1998-1999. Several border skirmishes began between PSR Albania and Yugoslavia. The UN forced both countries to cease hostilities or risk facing sanctions. Ramiz Alia ultimately decided to abide by the UN accords and in 1999, signed a peace treaty with Yugoslavia. In the peace treaty, Yugoslavia provided full rights to the Albanians and the end of suppression of their activities. By 2000, Albania & Yugoslav relations have returned to normal with closer economic integration abound.

In 2001, PSR Albania declared that it’ll partake fully on the global fight against terrorism after 9/11. Communist authorities in Albania cracked out on suspected mosques and arrested several alleged extremist imams.

In 2003, PSR Albania condemned the US invasion of Iraq, calling it an act of imperialism and denounced the United States occupation. The US in response withdrew support to Albania for at least 5 years. It was not until 2008 that Albania-US relations returned to normal.

During to his ailing health, Ramiz Alia tapped Fatos Nano to succeed him as General Secretary after his death. Nano has been a student under Enver Hoxha’s wife during the 1980s. In 2011, Alia was hospitalized and declared dead in October 2011. A week of public mourning occurred and Fatos Nano took charge as the third general secretary of Albania. Nano’s approach as leader was more populist. He sought to fix the issues in Albania levied by the corrupt socialist system while keeping the Marxist government intact. In 2012, Nano supported the Ba’athist Arab Government and called it “Zionist imperialist activities that seek to undermine the people’s of the Middle East”. Nano also condemned the 2012 coup d’etat of Egypt, accusing Saudi Arabia of “destroying the livelihoods of middle eastern people”. Nano was also more hostile openly to Islamic-based theocratic countries, in particular Saudi Arabia and Syrian Sunni rebels. He called them “agents of the west who seek to destroy true independent Socialist Arab nations” in a 2013 interview. In 2013, PSR Albania began shipping arms and medical support to the Assad government of Syria under the orders of Fatos Nano.

In 2014, Albania celebrated 70 years of liberation from the Nazis. A large military parade was held in Tirana on the 28 November 2014 with Nano making the speech and foreign guests attending such as Gorbachev, Xi Jinping, various Yugoslav, Cuban, Greek, Italian, and Turkish dignitaries. Syria also sent in its foreign minister to attend the parade.