“The case of Zvërnec appears to have become a moment when accumulated frustration reached a critical point. It transformed from a local environmental and property concern into a symbol of deeper dissatisfaction with how decisions are made and with the sense that citizens have been excluded from processes that directly affect their lives and communities,” writes Elira Luli, ICDR member, in a commentary for the Forum 2000 Bulletin on the current protests in Albania.
Elira Luli
Member of the ICDR, lecturer and senior researcher, Albania
For a long time, Albanian political reality has been shaped by the perception that Albanians do not know how to protest, or that protests are primarily tied to the political interests of one side or the other. A dominant narrative has often suggested that citizens mobilize only when called upon by political parties, rather than in response to genuine social concerns emerging from within society itself.
Following the student protests of December 2018, it appeared that citizens had gradually withdrawn from politics and from the public sphere. This withdrawal reflected a growing sense of indifference toward how the country was governed, accompanied by declining trust in institutions and a widespread feeling that citizens' voices could not produce meaningful change. This phenomenon has been a subject of debate not only in the media but also within intellectual and academic circles.
However, recent mobilizations reveal a different reality: citizens were not necessarily indifferent; rather, they were searching for a moment, an issue, and a cause capable of bringing them together. The presence of citizens in the streets of Tirana, the reactions emerging from different communities, and the mobilization of the diaspora in cities around the world demonstrate the return of a new form of civic agency.
The Zvërnec protest should not be understood only as a reaction to a single environmental issue. It is connected to a much longer debate about the management of public spaces, natural heritage, property rights, and strategic territories in Albania since the fall of communism. For years, citizens have raised concerns regarding land use, overlapping property claims, lack of transparency, institutional weakness, and the perception that development policies have often been shaped by narrow interests rather than by broader public welfare.
The case of Zvërnec appears to have become a moment when accumulated frustration reached a critical point. It transformed from a local environmental and property concern into a symbol of deeper dissatisfaction with how decisions are made and with the sense that citizens have been excluded from processes that directly affect their lives and communities.
An important dimension of this protest has been the way it has been treated in political discourse and media coverage. The media and political debate has oriented narratives based on conspiracy theories: claims of hidden financing, political orchestration, or attempts by former political actors to regain influence.
The possibility of external influence from ambitious states that may not wish to see Albania's further development, especially in the tourism sector, cannot be entirely dismissed in the broader geopolitical context. However, the deeper issue lies elsewhere: in the internal social and political wounds that have accumulated over time.
Such narratives often serve to relativize and delegitimize social movements by shifting attention away from the public issue itself and toward the question: "Who is behind the protest?"
Yet the sociology of social movements reminds us that protests are never homogeneous. Within every mobilization, there are different forces: those that seek to advance change, those that seek moderation and dialogue, and those that attempt to block, fragment, or redirect the movement. A protest is a process through which a collective purpose is gradually constructed, where initial emotions and grievances must eventually transform into articulated demands and a concrete public agenda.
This protest reveals a deeper crisis of trust: the perception that citizens have become disconnected from decision-making processes and that the moral contract between the state and society has weakened. Citizens increasingly appear to be rejecting mechanisms of political co-optation – a system in which institutional inclusion may provide individual benefits, but does not necessarily restore dignity, shared values, or collective wellbeing.
This is NOT a protest against development or investment. It is a demand for a different model of development based on European standards: transparency, high-quality investments, respect for international norms, and projects that genuinely improve the lives of local communities.
The message is not a rejection of progress; it is a demand that progress serves society rather than bypassing it.
The flamingo has become a powerful symbol of this movement.
It represents balance – the societal demand for equilibrium amid economic development, the protection of the public interest, and respect for protected areas.
It represents community – the need to overcome long-standing political divisions between left and right and to rebuild a sense of civic solidarity beyond party identities.
It represents unapologetic self-expression – a new generation of citizens and youngsters who feel unheard and underrepresented, but who are finding creative ways to articulate their dissatisfaction and their vision for the future.
It also represents love and devotion toward the country – a sentiment expressed through the powerful slogan: "We do not sell our country." The homeland belongs to its citizens, and their relationship with it cannot be reduced to economic interests alone.
This protest has the potential to become a turning point because citizens, in the absence of trusted political and media representation, have created their own spaces of organization and communication, particularly through social media.
The creativity, irony, and peaceful nature of the mobilization, especially among younger generations, demonstrate a new form of political activism that differs from traditional party-based mobilization.
A protest is not a sign of instability. In a functioning democracy, protest is a corrective mechanism and an expression of democratic health. Societies do not become weaker because citizens raise their voices; they become stronger when citizens believe that their voices matter.
At present, Albania appears to be experiencing a phase of civic awakening, in which demands are shifting from generalized dissatisfaction toward clearer political articulation.
A genuine success would not be limited to a symbolic victory. The greater challenge is whether this social energy can generate a new political and societal alternative.
This alternative should not necessarily be understood in terms of the traditional left-right divide, which has dominated Albanian politics for decades. It could emerge as a new civic-oriented force, a renewed political center, or a different, fresh model of representation capable of reconnecting citizens with politics and restoring trust in democratic institutions.
A new political alternative for the upcoming elections should respond to the aspirations of this mobilization. Ultimately, it is not simply the creation of another political actor but the emergence of a different political culture, one based on accountability, dignity, the public interest, and genuine representation.
The views expressed in these works are the responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forum 2000 Foundation or its staff.
