In 1990, Albanian students demanded freedom of speech and freedom of the press. But the movement quickly spread throughout the country, and the next demand became political pluralism and the creation of the Democratic Party.
That movement carried with it the dream of freedom and democracy.
Yet today, more than three decades later, we must have the courage to acknowledge that Albania’s transition remains unfinished.
For this reason, history must not repeat itself in the same way.
Today’s Student Movement should not merely create another political party. It should create a permanent democratic institution capable of preserving and nurturing the Albanian dream of Freedom, Democracy, National Unity, and National Prosperity for generations to come.
ALBANIA 2035
Trust the Rules, Not the Politicians
The objective is not a transition from Party A to Party B.
The objective is a transition from a system where power is concentrated and self-protecting to a system where no party, leader, oligarch, or coalition can dominate indefinitely because the institutions themselves prevent it.
This is how durable democratic transitions succeed.
Albania 2035 must be built upon institutional guarantees.
Not:
“Trust us.”
But:
“Trust the rules.”
PILLAR ONE
Citizens Above Parties
The establishment of an Independent Electoral Reform Commission, composed of representatives from:
The Judiciary
Universities
Civil Society
The Diaspora
Professional Organizations
No parliamentary majority should have the authority to unilaterally rewrite electoral rules.
Major electoral reforms should require:
A qualified supermajority
Public consultation
Independent institutional review
PILLAR TWO
Public Assets Belong to the Nation
Any sale, concession, privatization, lease, or transfer of strategic national assets must meet the highest standards of transparency.
This includes:
Full public disclosure of all documentation
Independent valuation
Public hearings
Independent audits
Ports, airports, energy infrastructure, water resources, mining concessions, and strategic public lands are not the property of temporary governments. They belong to the nation.
PILLAR THREE
The Albanian National Global Council
A constitutional advisory institution dedicated to representing the long-term national interest.
Its membership would include representatives from:
Albania
Kosovo
North Macedonia
Montenegro
The Presheva Valley
The Albanian Diaspora
Its mission is to connect the talent, expertise, and resources of Albanians everywhere with the development of the nation.
PILLAR FOUR
Citizen Initiative
Citizens should not have to wait four years to be heard.
Therefore, the following democratic instruments should be guaranteed:
Citizen petitions
Public hearings
Citizen legislative initiatives
Consultative referenda
PILLAR FIVE
Independent Oversight
Key public institutions must be built upon:
Professionalism
Transparency
Integrity
No independent institution should depend upon the political will of the government of the day.
PILLAR SIX
Democracy Within Political Parties
One of the deepest problems of Albania’s political system is not merely how elections are conducted, but how candidates are selected.
Therefore, political parties should guarantee:
Internal democratic elections
Financial transparency
Term limits
Merit-based candidate selection
Representation of youth and the diaspora
Because:
Democracy must exist inside political parties before it can fully exist within the state itself.
PILLAR SEVEN
Continuity of National Development
The establishment of a National Development Council, composed of representatives from:
Government
Opposition
Universities
The Business Community
The Diaspora
Civil Society
Its purpose is not to govern.
Its purpose is to ensure continuity in strategic national priorities such as:
Infrastructure
Education
Energy
Technology
Economic competitiveness
Demographic policy
National projects should not begin and end whenever governments change.
THE CORE MESSAGE
The most powerful message is not:
“Replace these politicians.”
Every opposition movement in history has said that.
The message that can truly transform Albania is:
“Build institutions that limit every politician.”
Including those who are in power today.
And including those who will come tomorrow.
THE ALBANIA 2035 DECLARATION
Our objective is not to replace one elite with another.
Our objective is to build a Republic where power is constrained by law, where national assets are protected through transparency, where citizens have a direct voice in decision-making, and where no government, political party, or special interest group can place itself above the institutions of the state.
Only then can Albania’s democratic transition be considered complete.
Kolec Ndoja
Chairman of the VATRA Council
Torchbearer of Democracy