THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE AT RISK IN MONTENEGRO
A NATION THAT LOSES ITS LANGUAGE, LOSES ITSELF
A Call for Albanians to Reclaim Their Identity, Deformed by Slavic Policies
By Flamur Bucpapaj
Life or death—for the return of our lands and the halting of Slavic assimilation
If necessary, we will fight for our language, our flag, our land, and our honor.
Not for hatred, but for survival. Not for conquest, but for justice.
UNDER THE SHADOW, THE LANGUAGE IS FADING
“In the beginning was the Word,” says the Bible. In our case, the Albanian word—the language of our ancestors—is fading under the pressure of a long-standing policy of denial and assimilation in Montenegro.
Today, for the first time in history, a significant portion of Albanians in this country no longer speak Albanian, or speak it with difficulty, with a poor vocabulary, or with shame.
This is an alarm bell that demands a national response.
A DELIBERATE POLICY: SLAVIC ASSIMILATION OF ALBANIANS
Yugoslav state policies throughout the 20th century, followed by those of post-independence Montenegro, have not been neutral toward Albanians.
They have pursued a clear goal: the linguistic and cultural assimilation of Albanians into Slavic society.
Here are some concrete ways this process has unfolded:
Education: During Tito’s regime and afterward, Albanian-language schools were reduced or shut down. In many areas, Albanian parents were forced to enroll their children in Montenegrin or Serbian-language schools, often out of fear of discrimination.
Personal Names: Surnames, personal names, and place names were changed from Albanian to Slavic forms through administrative pressure. This severely weakened the link to national identity.
Media and Culture: The absence of Albanian-language television and radio in Albanian-majority regions created a media void filled by Serbian, Bosnian, or Montenegrin media. Young people are growing up with foreign music, books, and TV series—not with Albanian culture.
Social and Economic Pressure: Albanians have faced exclusion from public employment, economic marginalization, and pressure to change their identity to “advance” in society.
THE CONSEQUENCES: ALBANIANS WITHOUT LANGUAGE, WITHOUT SYMBOLS, WITHOUT MEMORY
In many areas of Malësia, Ulcinj, Plav, Gusinje, and Bar, a large number of young people speak little or no Albanian.
In the most painful expression of this phenomenon, some even refuse to identify as Albanian—opting instead for artificial identities like “Bosniak” or “Muslim of Bosniak nationality.”
This is a national tragedy unfolding before our eyes, silent and invisible to most of the Albanian public.
THE FACTS THAT MUST WAKE UP ALBANIA
According to the 2011 census in Montenegro, only 30,439 individuals declared Albanian as their mother tongue, out of about 35,000 registered Albanians.
However, the actual Albanian communities in border areas are larger, but often do not declare their true identity due to fear or economic incentives tied to other identities.
In Ulcinj, the city with the highest percentage of Albanians in Montenegro, only a small portion of educational institutions function in Albanian.
In Plav and Gusinje, Albanian has been almost entirely replaced in the school system.
Unofficial statistics show that in many villages such as Hoti, Gruda, and Martinaj, Albanian is spoken only by the elderly.
Children are unable to form complete sentences in Albanian.
WHAT SHOULD THE ALBANIAN STATE DO?
Faced with this silent tragedy, the Albanian state must immediately abandon its passive role and take the following strategic steps:
Develop a National Platform for the Preservation of the Albanian Language in the Diaspora
This platform must support the opening of Albanian-language schools, cultural centers, libraries, and language courses in Montenegro and other countries where Albanian is in decline.
Educational Support
Albania and Kosovo can send volunteer teachers or include the Albanian community in remote education through digital platforms.
Invest in Albanian Media in Montenegro
TV channels, local radio, and news portals should receive financial support from Albania to spread content in Albanian and strengthen national identity.
Diplomatic Engagement to Protect Albanians
Albanian embassies must act as centers for the defense of Albanians’ cultural and linguistic interests abroad.
Clear representation of the Albanian cause should be present at every international table where Montenegro is discussed.
Scholarships for Albanian Students from Montenegro
Albanian youth should be encouraged to study at the universities of Tirana, Pristina, or Shkodra with guaranteed scholarships, to restore their language and culture.
If we do not act today, tomorrow will be too late.
A people that loses its language loses its connection to the past, to history, to sacrifice—and to the future.
For every Albanian child in Montenegro who grows up without the Albanian language, a part of our nation is extinguished.
This is not just a linguistic issue—this is a matter of existence.
And it is the duty of all Albanian institutions, from Tirana to Pristina, from the diaspora to the emigrant communities, to rise up and defend the language, identity, and future of Albanians in Montenegro.
ALBANIA AND THE ALBANIANS – MASTERS OF THE BALKANS
The battle for life or death to reclaim our territories and halt Slavic assimilation
In this turbulent Balkans—this bridge between East and West—there exists a people who have survived history, invasions, empires, and bloodshed: the Albanians.
Today, more than ever, Albania and the Albanians are called by history to take their rightful place—as the natural masters of the Balkans.
But this will not come without confrontation, without resistance, and without an existential fight: life or death.
Because even now, in the 21st century, the policy of Slavicization—a long and dangerous anti-Albanian project—continues to swallow our lands, our identity, our language, and our national memory. A PEOPLE WITH A HISTORIC RIGHT
The Albanians are the oldest people of the Balkans—descendants of the Illyrians and Epirotes, ancient inhabitants of these lands. No other people in the region possesses the historical, linguistic, and cultural continuity that we do. From Skopje to Niš, from Ulcinj to Bar, from Preševo to Plav and Gusinje, from the Sandžak to Chameria, every corner of the Balkans is marked by Albanian blood, language, and sacrifice.
But with the imposition of unjust borders by the Congress of Berlin (1878) and the London Conference (1913), Albanians were forcibly divided into five states. From that day onward began a systematic war to erase us as a nation: we were separated, detached, and forbidden to use our language, flag, books, and songs.
SLAVICIZATION – A DELIBERATE ANTI-ALBANIAN PROJECT
Slavicization is not merely a cultural process. It is a well-organized political and geopolitical strategy, deeply rooted in Serbian and Russian projects for domination in the Balkans. This policy includes:
The occupation of Albanian lands and their declaration as “Slavic territory” (as in the cases of Kosovo and the Sandžak);
The erasure of Albanian toponyms and their replacement with Slavic names;
The assimilation of Albanians in Montenegro, the Preševo Valley, North Macedonia, and Greece through educational, linguistic, economic, and media pressure;
The devaluation of Albanian history and systematic slander in Slavic academies and media;
The distortion and appropriation of historic Albanian figures (Skanderbeg, Isa Boletini, Hasan Prishtina, etc.).
This is a silent yet ruthless aggression that, for decades, has inflicted massive damage on our national identity.
ALBANIANS – TODAY MORE UNITED THAN EVER
Yet, what the Slavs have never succeeded in destroying is the spirit of the Albanian people. Today we have an Albanian state and a free Kosovo—two nations at the core of national unity. In North Macedonia, Albanians are a political factor. In the Preševo Valley, Montenegro, and the diaspora, although persecuted and suppressed, the Albanian spirit still endures.
Now is the time for national coordination—not through hollow flag-waving, but through:
Educational and linguistic unification among all Albanians in the Balkans;
A shared cultural and historical policy that places Albanian identity above every artificial border;
The development of national security, economic, and diplomatic strategies to protect Albanian rights everywhere.
THE STRUGGLE FOR OUR LANDS – NOT A DREAM, BUT A DUTY
We are not claiming what does not belong to us. We are demanding our historically Albanian lands, unjustly occupied. This is not nostalgia—it is a national duty. Like every people with a sacred land, we have Çameria, Preševo, Plav, Gusinje, the Sandžak, Ulcinj, and many more awaiting justice.
This life-or-death struggle is not fought only with weapons. Today it is fought through:
Smart diplomacy, raising our voice at the UN, NATO, and the EU;
Media and education that inform, enlighten, and awaken consciousness;
National unity that transcends party lines and is grounded in shared identity and responsibility.
THE FUTURE: ALBANIANS AS THE AXIS OF THE BALKANS
History is returning. The Albanian axis in the Balkans is a reality. Albania, Kosovo, and Albanians in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Preševo, and the diaspora form an undeniable geopolitical force.
If we build economic cooperation, joint educational institutions, and a unified cultural and media system, then the day will come when Albanians will be a decisive factor for peace, development, and justice in the Balkans.
We do not seek war—but we are not afraid of it.
We do not seek pity—but justice.
We do not seek to dominate others—but to be masters of ourselves.
Because the Albanian nation is like the eagle—it may remain silent for a time, but when it rises, it reaches the peaks.
THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL MANIFESTO
For the revival, unification, and protection of our lands
WE, THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ALBANIA,
aware of our millennia-long history, of the blood shed for every inch of our land, of the language that has survived empires, of the culture that never bowed to any occupier, solemnly declare before God, our Homeland, and History:
I.
We are Albanians and we shall never be altered.
We are the descendants of the Illyrians, the heirs of Skanderbeg, Isa Boletini, Adem Jashari, and every Albanian who sacrificed themselves for our land, language, and honor.
II.
The Albanian language is our spiritual border.
Where Albanian is spoken, there is Albania. Linguistic assimilation is a national wound. Whoever denies their mother tongue denies themselves.
III.
Our historical lands are not political questions, but blood legacies.
Plav, Gusinje, Ulcinj, Preševo, the Sandžak, and Çameria are more than names on a map—they are living wounds that will not heal without justice.
IV.
Slavicization is an existential threat to the Albanian nation.
We will no longer allow Slavic politics to erase our language, our name, our history, and our existence. Every attempt to extinguish Albanian identity will be met with unwavering resolve.
V.
National unification is not a dream, but a necessity.
We seek unity in language, education, economy, culture, diplomacy, security, and historical purpose. States may have borders, but the nation is one.
VI.
We are ready for sacrifice, just like our forebears.
If needed, we will fight for our language, our flag, our land, and our honor. Not for hatred, but for survival. Not for conquest, but for justice.
Our call goes out to every Albanian:
To the Albanian in Ulcinj who feels alienated from the Albanian language—do not forget who you are.
To the Albanian in Preševo who speaks in fear—rise with dignity.
To the Albanian in Tirana and Prishtina who remains silent about our brothers and sisters outside the borders—stand up and act.
To the Albanian in the diaspora who is far, but rooted—remember your land.
Our oath is eternal:
We will not abandon our language.
We will not divide our nation.
We will not forget our lands.
We will not surrender our freedom.
