In the Theth Valley in northern Albania, surrounded by towering peaks, tourists photograph a village church built in the late 19th century, a beautiful stone structure that often appears in brochures that attract tourists to the region.
Just a few meters away, piles of wood and concrete foundations are all that remains of dozens of wooden cabins built to accommodate these tourists, which were demolished by the state in July.
“They destroyed our lives, not just the buildings,” said Col. Gjergj Legata, 63, who fled communist Albania in 1990 for Yugoslavia and then Greece, returning only five years ago and investing, according to him, a sum of 30,000 euros in a cabin that he had begun building in January.
Like the 80 or so other cabins and buildings that collapsed, the Legata mountain lodge for tourists had been built without a permit – a common occurrence in Albania, but one that this time had drawn the attention of environmental activists alarmed by the damage to Theth's natural beauty.
Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, visited Theth last year and encouraged Albanians from the growing diaspora to return home and invest here. Legata and others say they took his word for it, believing that the lack of building permits would not be an obstacle.
Hit by criticism on social media, the government's response was harsh: bulldozers were sent in at the height of the tourist season. On July 11, they were met with Molotov cocktails; stunned climbers sought shelter while armed police tried to track down the perpetrators.
The legate now faces a fine far greater than the cost of his cabin, but critics say the state also bears responsibility; local authorities have been implicated in allowing the illegal construction from the beginning.
"The actions in Theth show that the power of the state is not sufficient to prevent, but is manifested in the most brutal form in undoing illegal actions," said Melitjan Nezaj from the organization PPNEA (Center for the Preservation and Protection of the Natural Environment in Albania).
“The uncontrolled development of tourism, without any strategy, was exacerbated by the neglect and even encouragement of unsustainable development by the state itself,” he told BIRN. “The actions in Theth did not solve the problem, but transformed it from an environmental issue into a social one.”
Rama: Return to your homeland and invest
Col. Gjergj Legata. Photo: BIRN.
When Rama visited Theth last year, he distributed ownership certificates for 200 land plots, addressing one of the biggest problems that still remains today regarding ownership after the fall of communism more than three decades ago.
After communism, most agricultural land was distributed for free in small plots, but it was often not registered, partly because of the cost involved. Delays in registering property titles remain a major problem across the country.
Although the certificates do not give the holder the automatic right to build, Rama called on young Albanians, who have emigrated in large numbers in recent years, to return and invest.
"Those who have emigrated should return to invest in their land," Rama said, promising government support to secure bank loans for tourist construction.
Legata proudly showed off his ownership certificate, which he had received from Rama.
“He came here last year and said we will do wonderful things, that Thethi is a wonderful place,” Legata told BIRN.
He said he had been trying to get a building permit for years, but without success. So, after Rama's statements, he built his cabin anyway.
When activists spoke out on social media against illegal construction in a meadow opposite Theth's beautiful stone church, Rama ordered their demolition, saying the owners had "hurt the heart of Theth" and should be prosecuted.
Besjana Guri, an environmentalist from the Tirana-based organization Eco Albania, said that illegal construction in protected national parks poses a threat to the environment.
"Construction in national parks endangers nature and national heritage and encourages the development of mass tourism, increasing the impact on these sensitive natural areas," said Guri.
“Any construction must be carefully planned, preserving the biodiversity and values that give these areas the status of protected areas.”
“The demolitions in Theth are a call for sustainable planning and dialogue with residents,” Guri told BIRN.
Mismanaged operation
Thethi tourist village. Photo: BIRN.
Legata was fined 63,000 euros for illegal construction.
“I was fined for two rooms that don’t cost that much money,” he said. “They could have fined me 6,000 euros, but not 63,000, because I will never be able to pay that fine.”
Bekim Koceku, 60, had five vacation cabins in Theth and another where he lived with his brother.
All six were destroyed, forcing Kocek to return to the village of Hot i Ri near Shkodra. He said his cabins were booked until September. “And that night, when they came to destroy them, we had to throw everyone out… at five in the morning.”
Like Legata, he feels betrayed.
“Rama said everyone should come back and invest here,” said Koceku, who values his investment at around 170,000 euros. That money has now been lost, and he says he also faces a fine of 85,000 euros.
“How can we rebuild our lives?” he asked. “I can’t afford to pay the fine. I’ve contacted a lawyer who is looking into the matter.”
Rama rejected accusations that he had deceived the residents of Theth.
“We have not broken our word to anyone,” he said. “We went to Theth with the mayor and promised to legalize all the old houses… So, our promise was: ‘We will legalize your grandparents’ property.’ Our promise was not: ‘Give us the vote and build without a permit.’
Although he does not justify the illegal construction, Shkodran journalist Bepin Kolvata, who followed the action, said that the state could have managed the situation better.
“The action happened at the wrong time,” he said. “They could have done it in the fall.”
“They all have their lands there; the problem is that the state hasn't legalized them for 30 years.”
Authorities have admitted some responsibility for the illegal construction in Theth. The Albanian State Police dismissed the police chief of the Shkodra district, while the officer assigned to the village of Theth was suspended pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings./ Reporter.al
