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By Ulsi Manja/ When politics changes fate, Dibra is no longer the "forgotten pocket" of Albania

2026-05-25 11:41:00, Opinione CNA

By Ulsi Manja/ When politics changes fate, Dibra is no longer the

There are days in politics when the noise of television debates, the cynicism of social media, and the daily grind make you wonder: "Is it really worth it?"

But there are also days like yesterday in Debar, that give the purest answer. Days that fill your heart, because you understand that politics, beyond words, has the power to radically change people's lives.

Yesterday, Dibra was not just a place on the map. It was the scene of a renaissance that did not come from slogans, but from a centuries-old dream that has already taken shape: the Arbri Road.

In Lura, where the road was once a survival challenge, today the new asphalt takes you from Peshkopia to the center of Lura in just 37 minutes.

The Shënkoll festival opened the tourist season among hundreds of Lurians from every corner of Albania and the world, along with friends and well-wishers who had come to celebrate not in a forgotten corner, but in a place of pride and memory.

In Fushë-Alie, the Drin Valley had turned into a giant party field. The boys of the area, but also those who had emigrated to England, Greece and Germany, had returned for the football championship. Homes and hearts were open, tables were full and the air carried the smell of longing that had faded after many years of absence.

Meanwhile, in Shumbati, yesterday there was no place to sit. Hundreds and hundreds of Shumbati residents and their friends gathered for the “Shumbati Feston” event. A super-organized celebration for the first time by the boys of the area inside and outside Albania, entirely with their personal and family contributions.

It was exciting to see Albanians coming from Skopje to search for their roots, joining their brothers to the sounds of Elita 5. It was a sight that reminded us that the nation is not only kept alive by politics, but also by memory, culture, and a return to origins.

All of Dibra yesterday was in Lura, Fushë-Alie and Shumbat. I have never seen Dibra more beautiful than yesterday.

For decades, Dibra has been treated as the “forgotten pocket” of Albania. Although on the map it was close to Tirana, in real life it took five grueling hours to get there. This isolation didn’t just affect the roads; it hit hope, the economy, and the very sense of belonging. People were leaving not only because of poverty, but also because they felt forgotten.

Today this story has changed.

Arbri Road is not just a road axis; it is the artery that is pumping life back into Dibra.

On the way back to Tirana, the view was amazing: Dibra residents, friends, guests, but also foreign tourists stopped by the roadside to buy cherries. There were even those who picked cherries together with the farmers, as if this entire production season had turned into a big Dibra cherry festival. When you see this year's production and the market that no longer complains about a lack of turnover, you understand that the local economy has started to breathe differently.

We may disagree on political beliefs. We may debate ideologies endlessly. But no one can argue with the reality of an improving life.

Yesterday in Dibra, even the biggest skeptics openly said: “Bravo for the Arbri Road.” And they weren’t saying this out of militancy, but because now they can go to their parents’ house in an hour. Because now the farmer takes his product to market without it rotting on the road. Because now Dibra no longer feels disconnected from the rest of Albania.

This is real politics: a tunnel that cuts through isolation, a road that returns immigrants home, and an investment that restores lost dignity to an entire province.

The Arbri Road did not just connect Dibra with Tirana; it connected the people of Dibra to their home, the farmer to the market, the immigrant to memory, and an entire province to the dignity that had been denied it for decades.

Today, Dibra is no longer the end of the map. It is a heart that beats strongly in the body of Albania./ CNA