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"The Columbia of Europe", German publicist: How Albania turned into a narco-state

Politiko 2025-02-06 11:20:34

"The Columbia of Europe", German publicist: How Albania turned into a

Renowned German publicist and historian, Rainer Zitelmann, has published a book "On the Origin of Poverty and Wealth", where, among other things, the author also talks about the history of Albania, emphasizing that the country went from a poor communist state to a narco-state.

Excerpts from the book have also been published by the renowned British media outlet CITY AM .

Zitelmann writes, among other things, that estimates suggest that about one-third to one-half of Albania's gross national product comes from drug trafficking.

“ I was in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in May 2022 and October 2023. Albania is an increasingly popular tourist destination. In 2022, 7.5 million holidaymakers visited the small country, which is home to just 2.8 million people, and the numbers have continued to grow, reaching around 10 million in 2023 and around 14 million in 2024. Mediterranean weather and low prices make the southern European coastal state extremely attractive.

A friend sent me a WhatsApp message before I left for the airport: “Don’t let yourself get ripped off in the fraudulent state of Albania.”

In Tirana, I met Adri Nurellari, an impressive individual who shaped the freedom movement in Albania and studied in London. He was an advisor to the Democratic Party in Albania and now advises the Democratic Party in Kosovo.

On the issue of security and crime, he explained that, yes, there is a high level of crime in the drug sector. But precisely because criminals can make huge sums of money from growing and selling drugs, petty crime is not worth it: "Why steal a few hundred euros from a tourist when you can make millions from illegal drugs?"

At dinner I asked Bjorna, a member of Students for Freedom, how people here make a living. "You really don't know that?" she asked me and laughed, "by growing and selling marijuana."

She criticized the Albanian prime minister, who has turned Albania into a "narco-state." Of course, there are no official figures, but the country is now called the "Colombia of Europe."

“Estimates suggest that about one-third to one-half of Albania’s gross national product comes from drug trafficking. In any case, several billion euros are generated from drug trafficking each year,” the author writes.

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