By Iris Beqiri/ Is anger enough to change politics?!

2026-06-11 15:04:00, Opinione Iris Beqiri

Protest is a public act of opposition, dislike, or disagreement with a political idea or action. The Western Balkans has been faced with such acts repeatedly.

The most recent case is the protests that have been taking place for days in Albania.

In the modern political perspective, protesting is considered a form of highlighting "dark spots" in issues that affect society, however, it also arises as a civic obligation to look a little further than the everyday.

Perhaps the best way to view the act of protest is through a perspective that transcends national borders, to better understand the dynamics that have engulfed the societies of the region, which is why a focus on the events that have marked the last two years in this part of the continent is needed.

For the Western Balkans, it seems that everything started around the end of 2024. Initially, there were protests in Serbia, motivated by the tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad, which would soon turn into massive anti-corruption protests that have not yet ended. In February 2025, numerous rallies followed in Greece after the accident in Tempi, which prompted calls against state negligence. In the same year, massive protests were recorded in North Macedonia, after a major fire in a nightclub in Ko?ani. Various protests were also recorded in other countries to take into account the demands of citizens and support democratic principles.

Meanwhile, in June of this year, protests also included Tirana, the capital of Albanians.

What could be considered a matter of moment for the Balkans can also be seen as a "shake-up" of the societies of the region, to take greater control of their destinies, as they face a difficult reality.

But regardless of the state, specific names in politics, opposition figures, actors and other political factors, a question remains whether protest as an act (whether in the form of a march, strike, boycott or rebellion) is sufficient to change the politics of this troubled region in any way.

This, without forgetting the historical past, the political and social transition, the challenges of democratization and institutional strengthening, while all countries also share the ambition of the European journey.

If the rule is that the end justifies the means and the moral value of an action depends on the end, perhaps we cannot predict 100% here.

The essence is in the real further impact, the creation of a lasting effect, which transcends the use of protest as a tool and the idea of ??the participants' "victory", which takes on more value when combined with concrete legal and policy changes, which better serve citizens and future generations.