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Zvezda residents protest over water shortage: Millions were invested, but the taps are empty

Residents of the village of Zvezda, in the Maliq Municipal...

Albania is not for sale!

2026-06-01 19:43:00, Opinione Ardi Stefa

Despite the chaos of messages, banners, placards and causes that were mixed in the same square; despite the talk about Chameria, flamingos, corruption and the request for the cancellation of the project, about concreting, about protected areas in Zvërnec and everywhere in Albania; despite nationalist cries like: "Albania of Albanians, death to traitors", which according to some politicians and analysts sound absurd in the mouths of "neo-communists"; despite the patriotic songs: "Come gather here, here!", a single message managed to clearly penetrate: Albania is not for sale!

As an alarm for everyone.

About the government, the opposition, the establishment, the arrogance, the vested interests, the constant lack of transparency, etc., etc.

This was evident in the reaction of the Prime Minister, who, together with those around him, found himself surprised by such a massive and large reaction from citizens and on social networks. The Prime Minister took it upon himself to clarify that nature, biodiversity, etc. would not be harmed...

He did it in front of the parliamentary group, he did it in Berat; he will do it again in the coming days.

The Prime Minister talked about development, but I believe none of the protesters are against development and investment.

The large number of protesters showed that, despite propaganda, cultivated indifference, and attempts to portray any opposition as extremism or nostalgia, there still seems to be a part of society that has not given up.

A part that does not see the country as a map of parcels for privileged investors, as a coastline to be privatized, or as a territory where the law changes according to the interests of the strongest.

In fact, when citizens come out to protect a forest, a lagoon, a piece of coastline, or property rights, they are not actually just protecting nature. They are defending the idea that the country belongs to the citizens and not to the clients of current or former governments.

The beauty is that this protest was organized by civil society. Because if it had been an opposition protest of this size, with this participation and this anger, the television stations would have been asked to count the last days of the government. Analysts would be talking about a political crisis. Internationals would be asked about the stability of the country.

But when citizens protest without party flags, without paid buses, and without a list of MPs on the podium, the government tries to minimize the event, while the opposition often doesn't know what to do with it, while the media will try not to fail in their mission again and present it properly.

However, the fact remains: thousands of people took to the streets not for a chair, not for a post, and not for a rotation of power. They came out for a simpler and greater idea at the same time: for their conviction that Albania is not a commodity, not a stock on the stock exchange, nor anyone's private property.

And this is perhaps the most dangerous message for the opposition, which is not an alternative and for any government that thinks it can treat the country as loot to be divided among friends.