Former Deputy Minister Ornela Çuçi has delivered a sharp criticism of Prime Minister Edi Rama, arguing that Albania's ongoing anti-government protests have achieved what years of costly lobbying and international public relations campaigns could not: capturing the attention of the world.
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| Former Deputy Minister Ornela Çuçi argues that the current anti-government protests have brought unprecedented international attention to Albania, surpassing years of government-funded PR campaigns. |
According to Çuçi, the true scale of public dissatisfaction cannot be measured solely by the number of protesters visible in the streets. She argued that many Albanians working in the public administration, private companies, and businesses sympathize with the movement but remain reluctant to participate openly because of concerns about their jobs, contracts, and livelihoods.
"The protest is much larger than what we see every evening," Çuçi suggested, claiming that fear continues to prevent many citizens from expressing their views publicly.
She dismissed efforts to portray the demonstrations as the result of geopolitical games or external influence, insisting that the movement is rooted in years of accumulated frustration, disappointment, and distrust toward the country's political leadership.
While acknowledging that international interests may exist around any major political development, Çuçi argued that no foreign actor can manufacture the level of public frustration currently visible in Albania.
The former deputy minister reserved some of her strongest criticism for what she described as the government's long-running investment in image-building abroad. According to Çuçi, significant public resources have been spent over the years on lobbying firms, communication consultants, international summits, promotional campaigns, and carefully crafted narratives designed to present Albania as a success story on the world stage.
Yet despite those efforts, she noted that Albania is now receiving unprecedented international attention because of the protests rather than any government-sponsored campaign.
"For more than a decade, millions were spent trying to make Albania international news," Çuçi wrote. "Today Albania is once again on the front pages, but not because of lobbyists, propaganda, or marketing campaigns. It is there because citizens created a story that cannot be bought and cannot be controlled."
As demonstrations continue to draw attention both inside and outside the country, Çuçi argued that the movement has become more than a political protest. In her view, it has evolved into a broader expression of civic resistance, public frustration, and demands for accountability.
She concluded by drawing a contrast between state-funded promotion and grassroots activism, stating that the visibility Albania is receiving today has not been purchased through public money but earned through the determination of ordinary citizens.
"This time," Çuçi said, "not a single cent from the state budget paid for this publicity. It was paid for by citizens with their time, their persistence, and their courage."
Her remarks come as the protests continue to attract growing international attention, placing Albania's political climate under increasing scrutiny from foreign observers and media outlets.