Dear President Ursula von der Leyen,
President of the European Commission
I am a dual citizen of Albania and the United States. I emigrated to the U.S. in 1991 and currently live between America and Albania. I write to you as a deeply concerned citizen about the state of Albania and its European Union integration process.
After decades of effort and substantial support from the United States in rebuilding Albanian institutions, the U.S. appears to have stepped back, and the burden of this process now lies primarily with the European Union.
It must be emphasized — and you are surely aware — that Albania’s political elite cannot be trusted. Corruption is endemic, and the dominant interest of this ruling class is personal enrichment, often through dubious means and at the expense of the public good.
There are many systemic issues in Albania, but I would like to focus on one fundamental problem: property ownership, illustrated through two simple but telling examples from the current reality.
- The Cadastre
The cadastre system is the most important public registry in any functioning state. Today, after 33 years of capitalism, Albania’s cadastre is in worse condition than ever. The former Stalinist regime was brutal and criminal, but it left the cadastre relatively intact. The current political class has deliberately dismantled it, creating chaos in order to illegitimately appropriate land.
The United States and the European Union have spent over 2 billion dollars rebuilding Albanian state institutions — and yet, in 33 years, this post-communist political class has failed to fix the cadastre system.
It’s hard to know where to begin with the cadastre, but I’ll give one small, concrete example from my own experience: A large family property of ours now has 40 co-owners scattered around the world, most of whom I don’t even know or can’t locate. The property has been de facto blocked for decades — with no legal justification — while the number of owners has grown with each generation.
I need to perform a legal action concerning my portion of the land, but the court requires an updated certificate of ownership. The last one I have is from 2014. The cadastre office — which is legally obliged to respond within 3 weeks — instead demands from me the IDs of all co-owners. This is an absurd and unlawful request. Where am I supposed to find them? I am providing my own ID and simply requesting confirmation for my share. This is just one example of the countless bureaucratic and corrupt obstacles that prevent citizens from exercising their rights — often until they die — leaving property to be seized by politicians.
- The Current Case of Theth — One of Albania’s Natural Treasures
After 33 years of capitalism, the residents of Northern Albania still lack property certificates. Following the fall of communism, they spontaneously returned to the lands of their ancestors, based on traditional boundaries, but the state has never recognized their ownership. Without a certificate, land is an illusion. This is an institutional crime and economic sabotage for these communities, whose people have lived there for 2,000 years and whose only wealth lies in their mountains, rivers, and meadows.
Without certificates, people cannot use their land: they cannot sell it, build on it, inherit it, or use it as collateral. This is one of the main reasons Northern Albania remains impoverished.
In the communist South, rural property was divided under the infamous Law 7501, which rewarded those placed on the land by the regime, not the rightful owners. In the more conservative North, people voluntarily respected traditional borders.
In cities, despite all the manipulation and land grabbing, pre-communist ownership certificates have been mostly accepted.
Thus, thw Albanian government has tolerated — if not encouraged — at least three separate systems of property distribution in the same state. This is not governance — it is anarchy.
What Is Happening Today in Theth:
Local residents have built cabins for tourists on land they believe to be theirs. However, they lack building permits — because they don’t have property certificates.
The government sent in bulldozers to demolish these structures. The video was published by the Prime Minister himself:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video…
Residents are caught in a vicious cycle:
The state refuses to issue certificates for land they’ve owned for centuries.
Without a certificate, they cannot legally apply for a building permit.
Permits are granted at the discretion of local authorities, who often demand bribes — in some cases, up to half the property.
In desperation, residents have erected “temporary cabins” without permits, simply to survive.
Then the government shows up — unannounced — and demolishes them.
Albania is full of such unpermitted structures. Yet the government enforces the law selectively and arbitrarily: some are ignored, some are legalized, and others are destroyed — cultivating a culture of legal uncertainty, fear, and dependence on political power.
For this reason — and property rights being just one of many — I must state clearly: Albania is not ready to join the European Union.
Without deep structural changes, especially in fighting corruption and reinforcing the rule of law, this integration process is doomed to fail. I urge you to consider these concerns as a call for attention and for a realistic, in-depth, and not superficial approach to Albania in the EU enlargement process.
Europe must look beyond the facade and the marketing of Albania’s oligarchic politicians. Healing this country’s foundational problems is a challenge — but it’s one that only the European Union can help address.
Thank you for your time and for your dedication to building a more just and unified Europe.
Sincerely,
Parid Turdiu
West Palm Beach, USA & Tirana, Albania
Parid Turdiu letër e hapur presidentes Ursula von der Leyen për çështjen e pronës: Shqipëria nuk është gati të bashkohet me Bashkimin Europian
