A square in Korça is named after Llazar (Zai) Fundos/Peleshi, appreciation for the Korça intellectual

2024-09-23 17:53:00, Aktualitet CNA

A square in Korça is named after Llazar (Zai) Fundos/Peleshi,

Photo montage - Niko Peleshi and Llazar (Zai) Fundo

On the 80th anniversary of the execution of Llazar (Zai) Fundo, the political leader of the SP for Korça, Niko Peleshi, has announced an important news that perpetuates the figure of the Korça intellectual.

Exclusively for CNA TV, Peleshi announced that very soon, one of the squares near his birthplace will bear the name of Llazar Fundos.

Historical materials - 80 years since the shooting of Llazar (Zai) Fundos/ Antifascist, intellectual, Albanian forerunner of the EU
September 23, 12:28

He urged the local institutions to place the name of Llazar Fundo in schools or university auditoriums of Korça, in honor of his outstanding figure and as a sign of appreciation and gratitude for his great contribution.

"I want to share with you some information that I have, for the first time, from the mayor of Korça. I apologize that through your camera I am taking the exclusivity of the news, but I know that with his initiative, the municipality, with the decision-making of the municipal council, will give the name of Llazar (Zai) Fundo to a small square, piacete, in front of the house where was born and raised Llazar Fundo, his name. I believe this will definitely be enriched with other initiatives.

Lazar (Zai) Fundo

I would encourage the various institutions, the university, that a hall, an auditorium, as we have a street named after Zai Fundo, so he deserves much more than that, a school perhaps, bear his name. He is a fantastic figure who makes us proud today 80 years after he is no longer in this life, because it is good to say that this figure who was at the side of Alterio Spinelli, one of the buildings of the European Commission bears the name of Alterio Spinelli, it is precisely because of what they have done together with Llazar Fundo. So, it was an excellent raid", said Peleshi.

He also conveyed the appreciation of Fundo's figure, while sharing a personal narrative influenced by his father's experiences. Peleshi said that Llazar Fundo was one of the contributors to the foundation of today's European Union, which is documented in the Ventotene manifesto.

The political leader of the SP for Korça, Niko Peleshi

Peleshi stated that he got to know the figure of Llazar Fundo through the stories told to him by his father, who was exiled in Italy together with Fundo.

For Peleš as a corsair and as a compatriot, Llazar Fundo was a visionary man who, with his work and contribution, outlined a great dream for Federal Europe.

"I'm a thief, as you know, and I've obviously been constantly interested and informed about the extraordinary figure of Llazar Fundo, as Zai Fundo is known. Today marks 80 years since the execution according to an order of Stalin, the decision of the committee. Why am I interested? I have several connections, apart from being from Korça and as an Albanian, interested in such a great figure who has contributed not only to Korça, Albania, but also more widely than that, to Europe.

Lazar (Zai) Fundo

But, I also have a family connection, because it is not the time to talk about this matter, but my father was interned in Italy together with Zai Fundo and he was talking to me even before 1990, about his figure that I was surprised to say how is it possible that for someone who was shot by the regime of that time, my father speaks to me with such sympathy. Beyond this, there is a dimension that has not yet been adequately reflected in Albanian histories and in the knowledge of public opinion.

Llazar Fundo has been one of the contributors to what is known as the foundation of today's European union, or the European object of tomorrow. Because that dream written in the Ventotene manifesto is the name of the island where Lazar Fundo was exiled in the western part of Italy, the Ventotene manifesto is the first document that spoke of the project of Europe as a federation. How is the only solution according to that manifesto to put an end to wars once and for all, to establish peace and prosperity, social justice in our continent.

Lazar (Zai) Fundo

The father of Ventotene's manifesto is Alterio Spinelli, who in his memoirs has dedicated several pages to the figure of Llazar Fundo, talking about the contribution he made to this group headed by Spinelli for Ventotene's manifesto. So it is a very big event or figure that, as I said, has its own contribution to a project that was sketched in the middle of the second world war, to a dream that is becoming a reality in the European Union, but they have dared to go beyond the EU formula towards a Federal Europe, i.e. the Federation of European states, which maybe one day time will make it a reality", emphasized Peleshi.

Llazar (Zai) Fundo is one of the figures who worked alongside Alterio Stinelli for Federal Europe, to end wars, to establish peace, prosperity and social justice in our country./ CNA