EDITORIAL
Albanians, the National Crisis, and the Attack on the Patriotic Voice
By Flamur Buçpapaj
These days I followed the demonstration of young Albanians in Skopje, who even today in the 21st century continue to fight for the Albanian language, for identity, and for national rights. This moment brought to my mind the entire long history of Albanians, but also the present reality in Albania and in the region. Even after more than a century of state-building, Albanians still live divided across several states and continue to face fundamental issues such as language, representation, and national rights. In Skopje, protests are still held for the Albanian language, in Kosovo political confrontations continue without interruption, in the Presheva Valley basic rights are still being demanded, while in Albania politics appears trapped in a power cycle where rotation is increasingly weak. Without rotation there is no democracy, and without political competition there is no development.
This situation is a shame and a deep sorrow for a nation that remains scattered across Europe, a nation that has massively emigrated due to poverty, corruption, and lack of hope. Even I myself, for a long time in the United States, often ask myself in silence whether I should continue thinking about Albania, when many Albanians themselves have grown tired of it. But a person cannot detach from their language, history, and blood.
Today in Albania there is effectively a single dominant party, while the usual justification is that the opposition is exhausted, old, and fragmented. But the real question is whether there are no new forces, honest people, or patriots who can bring change. The problem is not only power, but the mentality of submission that has taken over society. There are people who praise every government only out of hatred for the opponent, others who remain silent out of fear or interest, and many who do not vote at all. Thus, a numb society is created where corruption and injustice become normal.
In this reality arises the serious question of whether there are anti-Albanians among Albanians themselves. An anti-Albanian is someone who sells their vote, someone who remains silent in the face of corruption, someone who mocks their own language and history, and someone who accepts living forever under an eternal ruler, repeating old patterns of submission. Democracy is not the worship of leaders, but accountability through the vote and civic responsibility.
A large part of the population lives in poverty, while thousands of young people leave every year. Emigration is the most severe consequence of the Albanian transition, because when youth leaves, hope and the future of the country leave as well. Meanwhile, justice is trying to strike at corruption, but no single institution can save a society that does not react itself.
Albanians must understand that the vote is the strongest democratic weapon. Complaining in cafés or on social media is not enough. If citizens do not punish corruption and abuse with their vote, they become accomplices to it. Why do votes not go to the young and new political forces? Because the system is fed by fear, poverty, and propaganda, while a tired and poor population is easier to control.
In this climate there is also a confrontation with Albanian patriotic media. Often every voice that speaks about the nation, the Albanian language, history, and injustices against Albanians is labeled as radical or dangerous. This is a modern form of censorship. Radio Nacional Albania and Gazeta Nacional have been among the few media outlets that have openly defended the national Albanian cause, patriotism, and national identity, and precisely for this reason they have faced political attacks, pressure, and attempts to delegitimize them.
Former Minister of Culture Elva Margariti represents, in this context, a centralized cultural system in which many patriotic voices have felt excluded and targeted. This is not about individuals, but about a system that does not tolerate independent media and national voices that are not controlled by political or economic interests.
When a media outlet speaks about the Albanian language, national identity, emigration, poverty, injustices, and corruption, it often becomes undesirable for the establishment. Today, a large part of the media depends on political advertising and economic interests, while patriotic media remain unsupported and often under pressure.
But history has shown that the Albanian nation has not been defended by bureaucrats, but by those who dared to speak. Today Albanians face mass emigration, corruption, poverty, lack of hope, and an identity crisis. A tired people is easier to control, a people without free media loses its memory, and a nation without memory risks losing itself.
Therefore, the new Albanian generation must wake up—in Skopje for the language, in Kosovo for the state, and in Albania for democracy, justice, and national dignity. Albanians do not need eternal rulers, but strong institutions, free media, and a new national elite. Because every time the Albanian patriotic voice is attacked, the very conscience of the nation is attacked.
