Profile/ Genci Shehaj candidate for MP for Korça, Opportunity Party

2025-03-17 15:00:00, Politikë CNA

Genci Shehaj, the candidate of the Mundësia Party for the Korça Region, began his political journey at a very young age. He was involved in the Democratic Party Youth Forum at the age of 15-16 and later served as a member of the forum's leadership.

In an interview with CNA, Genci Shehaj spoke about his political career and his vision as a candidate for MP on the Mundësia Party list.

According to him, his passion for politics was born from following European media and knowing several foreign languages, with the dream that one day Albania would reach the level of countries like France and Italy.

"It is true that I have been active in politics since a very young age. From the age of 15-16 I have been part of the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party of Korça District. Later I was a member of the leadership of the youth forum. The only thing that pushed me towards politics was that as a young man I followed a lot of European media, I am a polyglot in some form, I know many foreign languages. I grew up with French and Italian television and my dream was for Albania to one day become and reach the level of these countries."

Shehaj emphasizes that he did not invest in politics for personal gain, but for the passion he feels to help his fellow citizens. He is a successful entrepreneur in the glass processing industry, contributing to the development of Albanian companies in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.

"It's not that I've invested in politics. Politics is more of a passion for me, it's inside me. I feel politics deeply, I love it, I want to serve my fellow countrymen. I had the same goal in business, I have a business profile that is not very profitable, but it serves everyone. I mainly work in the glass processing industry, in machinery, and I am one of the few in the region who does this work. With my service, I have also contributed to many glass companies in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. My clientele is mainly Albanian and I have contributed to their development."

According to Shehaj, the Opportunity Party is the only political force that offers a concrete program for economic development. He supports the flat tax and has proposed some personal ideas that have been accepted by the party chairman. Shehaj says that in this party, his voice is heard and his opinions are respected, unlike the big parties that, according to him, have turned into a “chairmanocracy.”

"The Opportunity Party is the only party in which I see a vision, a concrete program. There are many new parties today, but the only one that has a concrete program for economic development is the Opportunity Party. In the context of taxes, I am right-wing and support this program for a flat tax, even some of my personal proposals that have been, have passed and have received the agreement of the president himself. I found myself here because here they accept your opinion, my suggestions have also been accepted and here I have the opportunity to express my opinion and have my voice heard. While in the big parties today it is impossible, they have turned into a presidentialocracy."

Shehaj declares that he will not cooperate with left-wing parties and will set as a condition for any right-wing coalition the implementation of projects to improve healthcare in Korça. For the Korça Region, he has a concrete program, where the main priority is the opening of a cardiology surgery ward in the regional hospital. He argues that due to the lack of this service, patients who suffer a heart attack are forced to travel for about 4 hours to Tirana, risking their lives. Another of his proposals is to provide an emergency helicopter for the regional hospital, an investment that costs between 600 and 800 thousand euros, which according to Shehaj, is affordable for the Ministry of Health.

"For Korça, I have a concrete program that in a hypothetical case if the Opportunity Party secures a mandate in Korça, it will be a condition for any kind of coalition. In a coalition with a left-wing party, I do not believe that we will do this, I personally do not do this. It will be a condition for a right-wing coalition if we win the mandate that the regional hospital of Korça has a cardiac surgery ward because this is the biggest problem in Korça. It is a real trauma, a person who suffers a heart attack must travel 4 hours to Tirana. Let's assume a myocardial infarction that you have to reach within 40 minutes, you will need 4 hours to get to Tirana and from this heart you die. This will be a condition that I will have because the healthcare in Korça suffers a lot and the second is, it may seem a little ridiculous, but Korça as a regional hospital of great importance and a very long distance from Tirana, must have a helicopter on standby. There is no "It's a big investment, costing between 600 and 800 thousand euros, and the Ministry of Health should definitely do this."

Since he comes from the Democratic Party, Shehaj has chosen to be objective and not comment on this political force. Among other things, he criticizes the Socialist Party's list, calling it weak and incorrectly ranked, while he says that other new parties lack a concrete program.

"I don't want to talk about the DP, I have to be objective because I come from the DP, which I was part of from its beginnings until 2013. I was also a voter for it 1 or 2 times after 2013, I supported it. For the other party, the SP is a very weak list and the wrong ranking was made. Those who should have been on the open list are on the closed list and this will cost the SP a lot. As for the other new parties, in my opinion, they have no program at all. They are simply good people, their candidates are very good guys, but they don't have anything concrete, I don't see them giving concrete opinions on how they will change and how they will condition their mandate. I have the freedom from the chairman to fulfill the things that I think are reasonable and I agreed in advance before entering the race."

In conclusion, Shehaj calls on the citizens of Korça and newcomers to this city to support the Mundësia Party, the only alternative that, according to him, offers concrete solutions for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, without being influenced by the oligarchs. He believes that the Mundësia Party will achieve a mandate in the Korça Region and will bring true political pluralism, which has been missing in this region for years.

"The Mundësia Party will receive a mandate in the Korça Region, we will see the developments during the campaign. It is certain. I am very interested in the fact that here for the first time there is a true political pluralism that has never been in the Korça Region. Even the early attempts that have been made have been commanded either by the large left-wing party or by the large right-wing party, but this time the possibilities are real to receive the mandate of the deputy in the Korça Region."

"I will appeal not only to the people of Korça, but also to those who have come to Korça because Korça belongs to everyone, and to all those who wake up in the morning here, I want to appeal to them to vote for the Opportunity Party because it is the only alternative that has something concrete for them. We are the only party that speaks for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, we do not speak about oligarchs, we will not be at the service of any oligarch if we secure the mandate. It will be at the service of my brothers and sisters, of those who wake up in the morning, do their work in silence and move this country forward."

Genci Shehaj is one of the potential young people running for MP from the Mundësia Party, part of its open list. Through this candidacy, Shehaj highlights his goals and objectives to move Korça and his fellow citizens forward. Confident and full of energy, Genci Shehaj expects the support of the citizens of Korça to bring about a radical change, which is needed not only by the city of Korça, but by all of Albania. /CNA