A NEW ALBANIA AND THE END OF THE NEVER-ENDING TRANSITION Written by: Flamur Buçpapaj

A NEW ALBANIA AND THE END OF THE NEVER-ENDING TRANSITION
Written by: Flamur Buçpapaj
Albania is at one of the most important moments in its modern history. After 36 years of transition, the country continues to suffer the consequences of an unfinished transformation. The Party of Labour did not truly relinquish power in 1991. It transformed itself, spreading into different political, economic, and media parties, while maintaining influence over the main decision-making centers.
A significant part of the old political, administrative, and economic elite remained active even after the fall of communism. This class created a system in which political, economic, and media power became concentrated in the hands of a few. Instead of building a free and competitive economy, Albania developed a model where national wealth, privatizations, public tenders, and strategic resources ended up under the control of a limited group of individuals.
The pyramid schemes of 1996–1997 were one of the most severe blows to Albanian society. Thousands of families lost their life savings, while those politically and economically responsible for that disaster were never fully brought to justice. Later came the consolidation of an economic oligarchy, which through political connections managed to control entire sectors of the Albanian economy.
One of the greatest wounds of the transition remains the property issue. Former owners and politically persecuted families continue to face long bureaucratic processes, administrative delays, and historical injustices. Many of them still have not received what is legally theirs.
Meanwhile, mass emigration has emptied Albania of hundreds of thousands of young people. Poverty, lack of meritocracy, corruption, and lack of trust in the state have forced younger generations to seek their future abroad. Every year, Albania loses its most valuable capital: its youth.
Today the country faces severe social and economic consequences. Rural areas are being abandoned, agriculture is shrinking, industry remains weak, while natural resources are often not exploited in the interest of citizens. In many cases, the informal economy, corruption, drug trafficking, and criminal activity have negatively affected the development of a healthy and competitive economy.
A new Albania cannot be built with the same people, the same methods, and the same mentality that has dominated Albanian politics for more than three decades.
In this historical moment, criticism of the past is no longer enough. Albania needs civic action, organization, and a new political alternative born from the interests of the nation, not from the deals of old elites. For this reason, I have begun collecting signatures to establish a new national political force, aiming to represent ordinary, underrepresented, and disappointed citizens of the transition era.
This initiative does not come from personal interests, but from the conviction that Albania deserves a new beginning. It comes from the pain of families who have seen their children leave for emigration, from property injustices, from the sacrifices of farmers, from honest businesses, and from citizens who feel excluded.
A new Albania must be built on several fundamental promises.
The first promise is the restoration of citizens’ dignity. The state must serve the citizen, not dominate them.
The protection of private property is non-negotiable, and property issues must be resolved definitively and fairly.
The fight against poverty and economic inequality is essential, by orienting the economy toward domestic production.
The revival of the national economy must be based on agriculture, industry, energy, tourism, and the maritime economy.
Stopping depopulation requires real employment policies and the inclusion of young people in the economy.
Education and national culture must be strengthened as the foundation of identity and development.
The Albanian family must be protected as the fundamental institution of society.
Equality before the law must be absolute, with no political or economic privileges.
The state must be built on meritocracy, not political connections.
The political system must be reformed with term limits and the circulation of elites.
Albania needs a new national contract between the state and its citizens, where property, economic freedom, justice, and dignity are guaranteed.
This change is not a luxury but a historical necessity. Albania cannot remain hostage to an endless transition.
The time for a new Albania has come.
Flamur Buçpapaj