Muhamet Mustafa
Flag Day reminds us of the difficult path to freedom and independence for Albania. This certainly includes the journey of Kosovo. It also reminds us of the areas in other countries with an indigenous Albanian majority, still struggling to secure a status that would meet their rights by international standards. Although, with the exception of the Presevo Valley, some improvements have been achieved in other areas in recent decades.
Without a doubt, Albania in NATO and with tangible prospects for integration into the EU, as well as an independent Kosovo, are great achievements in realizing the vision of the bright minds who organized the League of Prizren, declared independence in Vlora, and led the difficult process of Kosovo's independence.
The intellectual elite articulated the general efforts that led to these achievements. But where is the intellectual elite today and what is its impact on social trends and on the direction that economic and social progress should take, influenced by the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and already at the beginning of the Revolution 5.0. It seems that it itself is withdrawn, displaced, both through its own fault and by governments that have neglected the demands of the times in which we live. Just a few facts from an OECD 2025 study:
- Albania and Kosovo have largely neglected the support of scientific research for development and innovation, allocating only 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent of GDP for this purpose, respectively. This represents only four percent in the case of Kosovo and eight percent in the case of Albania of the European average (Western Balkans region - 17 percent; Serbia - 40 percent);
- Consequently, labor productivity measured by the value of one hour of work in dollars is approximately $18 in Albania, $27 in Kosovo, and $69 in the EU;
- A ranking according to the methodology of the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF), shows that among the 142 countries included, Albania is in 110th place, while Kosovo is in 128th place - according to the ability to innovate.
If this very worrying situation is not radically changed, our prospects do not look good.
It has become difficult to be Albanian and face these data in regional and European scientific gatherings. Surprisingly, government circles are not concerned about this, but even worse, the intellectual elite does not seem to take this situation as their own fault and responsibility! It is too late now, but it may be too late if we do not wake up from this kind of indifference.
