Written by: Ben Andona
The idea for this article was taken from a 1934 article published in “Illyria”. Its author was a 30-year-old named Tajar Zavalani. For historians, he is and remains a well-known figure with all his light and shadow. He belongs to that group of cultured Albanians, who rightly doubted whether they deserved the name intellectual, in a country that at that time had an extremely high level of illiteracy and not only. He would die in 1966 in the United Kingdom and be listed as undesirable in Albania, even though the Congress of Manastir was held in his house, in addition to the other contributions that he tried to offer while alive.
We are in May 2026, a full 92 years after writing this article. Albania has changed enormously and this is a fact. Dialectic. Which means that it has progressed in development like other countries. Intensity? Could it be better?! That is the question. Now, those who come from Rinas airport towards the center of Tirana see a real metropolis with high-rise buildings, designed with the most modern known forms and with the authorship of some of the famous architects; they look at the shadows of skyscrapers, which cynically snobbery the former Tirana; they exchange with the most famous car brands in the world; they contemplate various branded clothing and institutions, where the national flag also culminates with that of the European Union. There are no more chimneys spewing smoke, but this is an argument that we are somehow avoiding, because it is a pain for our economic model, led towards concrete and cheap tourism.
And the daily chronicle?! For days now, we have been watching the masquerade of the Democratic Party and what is happening to the largest opposition force that has gathered all the energy of a large portion of the people (of course, the part that has remained in the country and is not leaving, for various reasons). Among them, not only are elections not being held, not only is the situation not being perceived and the banality of accusations against the government continues, which in fact deserves endless criticism for the level and ability of how it is running the country, but they are showing that they are just as much a part of our anemic socio-political reality. Mr. Berisha, the greatest personality of our post-'90s history (in all positive or negative directions and intentions), has degraded his political formation almost into an amorphous body, which is crumbling before the eyes of Albanians. In vain, writings, visibility of phenomena, analyses, appeals and criticism are being directed to prevent them from being left in a dead end. What is seen is related to a frightening apathy from its people to change things in this party! Some of its people who want change are already discouraged from the beginning, because thinking about exactly how this party works, they immediately give up on change. "It would be the biggest mistake for a man of action to spend time thinking about the smallest events that could influence his every gesture, because then he would miss the opportunity to act," writes Zavalani in an article he called "The People and Intellectuals." It is surprising how after so many losses in a row, from this type of their articulation of time, from this current organization, and from the loss of the principles of the Right, it is still continuing the same way! It's surprising how the structures of the Democratic Party don't change and how they can't breathe life into it. And, to think that when they can't change democratically in opposition, how can they change the country if they lead the government. If it were just this, it would be considered simply, Alla Albania politics. But let's also add the social side: What happened in the last few hours in Durrës, when a character who had been penalized once again took the lives of two children. How is it possible that Albanians don't change even after these accidents? How is it possible that we only focus on the cause, who is actually one of us many, but we don't think about ourselves? How is it possible that the urban community is incapable of changing or reacting (in fact, their raised voice was not heard) to do anything? Look at how cars travel the streets in Tirana's evenings...? What about their scary noise?! And, so many, many things like that. And in this case, what do officials, intellectuals, those who run institutions do? They remain silent and tolerate. You can interpret the latter as pure corruption because even when they are not paid, they will receive favors in the future. And, when society and institutions see that this way of life is tiring, why doesn't it change?! Or act differently! In short: Why can't we change?! Why can't we fix our politics?!
"The man of action who knows where he will end up, takes care that the path he has embarked on is not completely wrong and, when he sees that the facts do not confirm his predictions, changes tactics without being stopped by the words of the world that will say that he was wrong. He looks at the goal and respects the facts, which he gives the right whenever they do not agree with his projects or desires," writes Zavalani with a criticism of the entire class he represents.
Just like a century ago, even after endless mistakes in politics, economics and society, accidents and lives lost, no one will know in Albania. In a few weeks, something else will probably happen... The beginning of the summer season is one of the most worrying for Albanians because the country records record numbers of accidents, often by people who, in their new places of residence, would not even dare to think about them.
We are no longer talking about the democracy missing from the SP and the language that exists today or the respect for the statute and the often harsh behavior of Prime Minister Rama. Just like in the recent events of the DP, the latest disappointment in a row from them. Where the bitter episodes with the ballot boxes and internal quarrels are making the rounds of social networks, as well as, on the other hand, the failure of individuals to face democratic elections. And, what is more worrying is the delegation of blame and making the other guilty, where everyone can criticize and suggest, but no one takes the blame. The essence of Zavalani's writing was simple, but also understandable: Point the finger at yourself! At that time there was a group of cultured Albanians, even those abroad who contributed and had benefited from Western culture, but the problem was: Why didn't they try to bring the rest of the people out of the chaos, out of the darkness where they were?! Just like today. Even those who make change face our institutions that cultivate inequality and impunity. That's why there are hundreds and thousands killed over property.
The road is difficult, Zavalani wrote in his time. “The path that must be followed to modernize Albania is full of thorns, full of countless difficulties and demands sacrifices at every moment…” (Ibid). Does today’s Albanian agree to do this?! No. The politician challenges with the power of 2008. The policeman naturally violates the law; the bureaucrat makes you suffer without batting an eye (even the youngest, raised in the spirit of democracy), look at the cadastre and the municipalities and add the thirst for wealth of the apparatchiks that has become frightening. Look at the young people who roam around in cars of the latest series production and who do not have empathy, but appearance! In the end, they, equally surrendered: intellectuals who flirt and run simply for clicks. "Albanian intellectuals do not have the will or the courage to follow this path that does not know where it ends, but they do not even want to admit that they lack civic courage. So what do they do? They console themselves with the typical phrase: There is no work to be done with this people!" (Ibid) That is enough, but what does each of us do for this country?! (Homo Albanicus)
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