Written by: Namik Dokle
Dear Lavdie, Arben, Erli, brother Zeqir and sister Fitrete; nieces, nephews and other relatives of Prof. Servet
Friends, comrades and well-wishers,
It is very difficult to gather the words you want to say in farewell to a loved one, a friend and comrade, a fellow traveler and fellow fighter of the years when there was more dilemma and less certainty, more confusion and less vision, more shock than restraint. Of the years when instead of separation, unity was needed, instead of despair, hope was needed, instead of doubt, faith was needed, instead of hatred, love was needed. It is difficult to gather the words, when the soul has been struck by the sad and shocking news of the separation from life of a man like Professor Servet Pëllumbi. An entire human and political life is poured onto the screen of memory, from the first day of the founding of the Socialist Party, in the difficult opposition battles, in the paths and precipices of fragile democracy, in the struggles of building a normal society, with the people and for the people.
And he was always there; where more wisdom was needed, where more faith, more courage, more foresight was needed. It is for this reason that we all called him, everyone recognized and accepted him as the Professor of the Socialists. To leave a legacy to a political force, even an entire country, the image of an era, this is not an insignificant glory, on the contrary. Professor Servet Pëllumbi was the protagonist of the leading history of the Socialist Party in a difficult and difficult time of Albania's political transition. His wisdom and intellectualism, exemplary citizenship and political courage, served not only the political force where he was one of the main leaders, but also the entire society.
They say that life is not what one lives, but what one leaves behind to be remembered and told. Professor Servet Pëllumbi was among the first politicians of the Albanian transition, and perhaps even among the few, who understood that the future is no longer what it was. And he dedicated himself, as a thinker and political leader, as an activist and organizer, to building a real democracy, operational and undeformed by dark ambitions, by anger and patriotism, by greed and deceit. The essence of change, in his conception, was the construction of a functioning society, the construction of a normal Albania. He communicated with the times through the problems that troubled society and not the other way around. He thought that good governance and politics begin at the doorstep of every citizen. He wanted every Albanian not to be asked the question "where do you come from?", but to ask each one "where do you want to go", thus finding, all together, the path towards a new and united Europe.
“The lack of critical intellectual thought, in the deep and coherent sense of the term,” said Professor Serveti, “is the greatest fragility of this stage we are going through.” If we do not have a clear European vision, it is not possible to build such a complex project. Therefore, in the many books he wrote, in high-level discussions, in the presence and leadership of the Assembly, he, with the strength of a thinker and the efficiency of a political leader, taught the idea and necessity of carrying European values into every cell of Albanian society. He was guided by Einstein’s idea that in order to solve the problems of a society, first and foremost, we must change the mentality that has given rise to those problems. And, of course, he was not always happy about this aspect of our realities.
Even in our country, unfortunately, intellectuals are not always leaders of public opinion, social influence is not their domain, but has been replaced by radio and television communicators, just as singer-songwriters replace true poets. Professor Servet Pëllumbi made extraordinary efforts to the contrary. As a thinker and as a leader, he fought for politics to generate human capital, so that society could develop, maintain a good level of cohesion within itself and adapt to the rapid changes we are experiencing. He was very concerned about the type of politics that is transformed into the sharp art of taking votes from the poor and money from the rich, while promising both parties that he will protect them from each other. And his entire philosophical thought was summarized in the sentence that “we do not live in an era of changes, but we live in a change of eras” and therefore we must be at the height of these changes. In the most difficult period for the socialists in opposition, when Chairman Fatos Nano was in prison, he shouldered great responsibilities, faced them with sacrifice and led the Party with prudence, courage and integrity. He was synonymous with honesty and dedication. He has indisputable merit in the European modernization of the Socialist Party of Albania and in the creation of an unusual model of internal democracy. Speaking today in farewell to the man with whom we had an unconditional, sincere and honest friendship, I remember another farewell, a full thirty years ago. I was returning from a trip abroad with the worry that I had left my sick mother and, at the airport, Professor Serveti met me. Why did you come out, professor? I came out for you, he told me. Ah, my mother left me… Yes, he told me, and I can never forget that embrace of his. Just like thousands of people, throughout Albania, will never forget the human dimension of Professor Serveti. He was a Friend of the People. Every day, yes, every day, he met people, known and unknown, intellectuals and artists, workers and unemployed, students and peasants, socialists and non-socialists. He listened to questions and answered everyone, listened to problems and tried to solve them. He was a politician, he was a philosopher, he was a thinker, but above all, he was a man. A man who remains forever in people's experiences.
Farewell, dear Professor!
t7 live
