With the May 11, 2025 elections on the horizon, Albanian youth have suddenly found themselves in the political spotlight. Both the Socialist Party (PS) and the Democratic Party (PD) are aggressively courting young voters, branding them as the “future of the nation” and the “driving force of change.” But let’s ask the uncomfortable question: is this newfound attention a genuine effort to empower the younger generation, or just another case of politicians using them as a marketing tool to secure votes?
Why Are Youth the “Golden Ticket” in This Election?
Political parties aren’t focusing on youth out of the goodness of their hearts. They know that young voters represent a significant portion of the electorate, and in a closely contested election, their votes could tip the scales. In major cities like Tirana, Durrës, and Elbasan, where youth unemployment and dissatisfaction run high, securing their votes is a priority.
But let’s break this down further. Are politicians genuinely engaging with youth, or are they simply using them as a trendy talking point? The rise of social media-driven campaigns suggests the latter. Instead of serious political discourse, we see leaders trying to go viral on TikTok, dropping catchy slogans and staging Instagrammable moments with young people. This might look progressive on the surface, but in reality, it’s like putting lipstick on a pig – glossing over deeper systemic issues with flashy PR tactics. For instance, in the 2021 elections, we saw political parties promise youth-oriented policies, such as better access to jobs and education. Yet, fast forward four years, and many of those same issues persist, if not worsened. Tuition fees remain high, the quality of education still struggles to meet European standards, and Albania continues to lose its best and brightest to countries that actually provide career opportunities.
Is This Engagement or Just a Vote-Grab?
The real question remains: are political parties willing to walk the talk? If youth are truly a priority, where are the bold, game-changing policies that will keep them in Albania? Where are the laws that incentivize businesses to hire young professionals, provide competitive salaries, or support young entrepreneurs?
Instead, what we see are empty gestures – youth summits, networking events, and recruitment fairs that rarely lead to real employment. Even the so-called “internship opportunities” that some political parties advertise turn out to be unpaid, exploitative, and designed more for optics than real skill-building. If politicians were serious about youth empowerment, they wouldn’t just be shaking hands and taking selfies with students during election season. They’d be sitting down with young leaders, listening to their frustrations, and actually implementing policies that make a difference.
The Danger of Political Apathy
One of the biggest risks of this cycle of broken promises is the growing political apathy among young people. Many have already lost faith in the system, seeing elections as nothing more than a battle between the same old faces, each making grand claims but delivering little. But here’s the danger: when young people stop voting, stop demanding accountability, and stop believing in change, the political elite gets exactly what it wants – a disengaged population that is easier to manipulate. If youth don’t take an active role in shaping their future, the same politicians who are using them for votes today will ignore them completely once the ballots are counted.
Time to Turn the Tables
Yes, youth are at the center of this election, but not necessarily for the right reasons. They are being treated as a political commodity rather than as real stakeholders in the country’s future. So, instead of passively accepting empty promises, young voters must become more critical, more demanding, and more engaged. It’s time to turn the tables. Instead of letting politicians use them for political gain, young people must use their votes as leverage – demanding real policies, real reforms, and real action. At the end of the day, if politicians truly want to keep young people in Albania, they need to do more than just talk about it. They need to make staying here worth it.
Written by our correspondent A.T.
