"Scenes and Behind the Scenes"/ Lufter Xhuveli Unravels the Memories and Unknowns of Politics in a Book

2025-11-05 13:59:00, Kulturë CNA

"Scenes and Behind the Scenes"/ Lufter Xhuveli Unravels the Memories

“Scenes and Behind the Scenes, from Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu to Ramiz Alia, Fatos Nano and Sali Berisha” is the latest book by Lufter Xhuveli, which was promoted in the city of Shkodra. Through his memories and reflections, Xhuveli brings rare evidence on the internal relations of the Albanian government from the communist period to the years of transition.

"Scenes and Behind the Scenes"/ Lufter Xhuveli Unravels the Memories

The book focuses on important political figures of the last five decades, describing the behind-the-scenes, decision-making, and developments that have influenced the history of Albania.

"It is a book in which, through the events of my life, I have tried to explain and clarify many things, which at first glance are not known and are not recognized and are not even visible. Even the title of the book itself is "Scene and Backstage". In politics, it is like in theater, you have the stage, you also have the backstage. Most things are played out backstage, discussed, thought about and finally placed there and since I have had the opportunity and the possibility in both eras, both before the '90s and after the '90s, to be close to these events and developments and after the '90s to also be part of the government in Albania. I was able to see them and these are my reflections.

These are my thoughts that give how the psychology and consciousness of Albanian society have evolved, how they have changed, by giving myself. No one is unchangeable. Conditions change, situations change, the level of knowledge changes, and human consciousness changes, as does the attitude towards various phenomena. This is what I wanted to give you there. Secondly, I wanted to give a message. We are used to, especially before the 90s, but even now the inertia continues, it is almost the same, to seeing things in black and white. Things are not black and white. Especially when it comes to people, to human beings. Either you say they are good, or you say they are bad. No, it is not like that.

"Every person has within themselves virtues, abilities, talents, good qualities, just as they also have flaws, just as they can have wickedness and evil, and since I have had the opportunity to know almost all of Albania's leaders since post-liberation until today, I have tried to portray them from this perspective as human beings, who are not only good, but also have flaws, and who are not only bad, but also have their good sides," said Xhuveli.

Lufter Xhuveli remains one of the prominent intellectuals of the Albanian academic world. He has held important state positions, such as Minister of Agriculture, deputy of the Albanian Parliament, vice-president of the Barcelona Convention, and rector of the Agricultural University of Tirana. /CNA