"History is the supreme judge, before which all secrets are revealed." - Ismail Qemal Vlora
Do not expect those who have built their identity solely on power to put the common interest above personal interest. If office becomes identity, the public good is the first victim. In Albania, this often manifests itself as patriotism in form, but not in content.
Our problem is not just financial corruption. It is intellectual and moral corruption that empties debate of meaning and fills it with big words. This is a culture nurtured for years, where appearance has replaced substance.
In this reality, politics is often done to survive, not to build. Some public figures do not exist outside of it. Where politics is the only source of legitimacy, the public interest becomes negotiable.
It is not enough to look for “young people in politics.” If they repeat the same clientelistic and arrogant patterns, age remains only a superficial detail. Albania needs new values, a new political culture, and institutions that function independently of individuals.
From my experience within the state, I have seen how decisions are skewed not by lack of resources, but by lack of character. If the truth is avoided, accountability is diluted and standards fall. Fear of the truth is more dangerous than any adversary.
The change we seek does not come from open lists, appointments without merit, or spur-of-the-moment conjunctures. Change begins with a new standard. Honesty that does not need to be shouted. Experience that is not used for self-aggrandizement, but for service. Decision-making that holds responsibility even in difficult days.
A new leadership model must be measured by clear criteria. Real transparency in decision-making and communication. Verifiable accountability, with consequences when it goes wrong. Zero conflict of interest, not just on paper. Measurable meritocracy, where ability weighs more than connections.
Politics needs people who are someone outside of it. People with ideas, work and contribution. Only they think beyond themselves. Citizens should seek precisely this standard. Measure it, reward it and protect it. History teaches us that the one who cannot be bought, manipulated and imitated is only one: CHARACTER.
