On the afternoon of November 25, 2025, the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Tirana opened its doors to an ideological debate on the rise and fall of systems – a favorite topic of current global discourse due to the policies pursued by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
The panel included two professors of exact sciences, a retired former soldier, an activist from the opposition Democratic Party, and the founder of an underground movement - which researchers classify as an extreme right-wing ideology.
Filmed by an amateur camera with close-up shots, the panel conveyed an almost dramatic tone.
“This is the end of history now,” Orsin Bakalli, a serious-looking 29-year-old, is heard saying. “We did not reach the end of communism… but we will now reach the end of the liberal order,” he adds.
Bakalli is the founder of “Brerore,” an organization little known beyond narrow online circles, which has recently been represented by the name “Boshti Kombëtar.” Judging from publications on its website, “Brerore” claims to be a nationalist and anti-communist movement, while also publishing fascist literature.
Bakalli rejects the term far-right as a recent invention for "witch hunts."
“We are ultranationalists,” he said in a cafe in the former Blloku area in early February, adding: “We aim to remake Albania.”
Through open source intelligence (OSINT) research methods, BIRN identified two other groups that represent themselves with symbols used by fascist or Nazi movements of the 20th century. At the heart of their propaganda are nationalist narratives about preserving tradition and national identity, as well as stances against communism, the liberal capitalist system or against the LGBT community.
Fragmented and with a seemingly small base of supporters, these groups have recently been struggling to gain popularity, resonating their ideas with the MAGA movement in the United States.
The meeting held on November 25 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, FSHN, conflicts with Albanian legislation, which prevents higher education institutions from engaging in political activities.
But the administrator of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Robert Skënderi, told BIRN that the activity was not organized by the Faculty, but by the students themselves, who are part of the Student Council.
"In the afternoon, the halls are free because there are no classes and often students, being part of the Student Council, create activities by publishing them on social networks on their own initiative," said Skënder.
"By regulation, we are not allowed to have political activities within the institution, but this situation more or less reminds me of the left-wing academy that was created," he added.
"Far-right" is an umbrella term used for many groups on the right-wing of the political spectrum, and the term itself often causes debate, because it is used to describe very different groups ranging from populist political parties to violent neo-Nazi networks.
However, these groups share some common traits, such as ultranationalism, sovereignism, xenophobia, or homophobia – which appear in different forms depending on the context.
In Albania, far-right ideologies have not yet achieved electoral success to gain representation in official politics. However, they exist in virtual space and in narrow social circles, while seeking to expand their base of supporters.
Albanian Third Position, ATP, is considered the only openly neo-fascist movement in Albania, according to a 2022 report by the Radicalization Awareness Network, a network supported by the European Commission. ATP opposes communism, democracy, and Abrahamic religions, while promoting tradition and paganism.
The ATP logo is a symbol known as the “Wolfsangel” – Wolf’s Claw – used by Nazi units during World War II. Today, this symbol is used by neo-Nazi and far-right groups in Europe, including currents associated with the Third Position.
In addition to social media posts, the group posts photos of its members during outdoor activities or at international events. However, the leaders or supporters are unknown and their faces are usually covered with the icon of a skull with a knife in its mouth in social media posts.
The Nationalist Zone is another far-right group with a presence only on the Telegram network. The group displays nationalist symbols and speaks out against “the LGBT community, drugs, and communism.” Nationalist Zone supporters also operate anonymously, while using the skull symbol to cover their identities.
Unlike the two groups above, “Brerore” does not use violent symbols on its social media channels. However, the group promotes fascist literature and supports exclusionary rhetoric, especially towards the LGBT community.
According to far-right researcher Fabio Bego, these groups in Albania currently have limited influence in online environments, stadiums or in narrow social circles. But he notes with concern the rhetoric and use of violent symbols as bait to attract as many followers as possible.
"As seen on the ATP and Zone Nacionalista pages, maintaining anonymity is not something neutral, but is associated with aggressive images. Putting skulls instead of faces is a mask used to exert psychological terror on their 'enemies,'" said Bego.
“Nga një pikëpamje më e përgjithshme, mbulimi i fytyrës, estetika fash-wave apo pseudonimet baroke mund të jenë mënyra për t’i dhënë vetes një nuancë misteri, për t’u dukur ‘cool’ dhe për të tërhequr followers,” shtoi ai.
Për Michael Coulborne, një gazetar i specializuar mbi të djathtën ekstreme transnacionale në Bellingcat, funksionimi i këtyre grupimeve si rrjete informale dhe pa një hierarki të qartë, nuk është unik vetëm për Shqipërinë. Sipas tij, grupime të tilla po synojnë që t’i normalizojnë prirjet antidemokratike në shoqëri, edhe në rastet kur veprojnë brenda kufijve të ligjit.
“Ato synojnë që prirjet antidemokratike, anti-LGBT+ dhe anti-emigracion, ndër të tjera, të bëhen më të pranuara në diskursin kryesor shoqëror dhe politik,” tha Coulborne.
ATP e refuzon lidhjen me të djathtën ekstreme dhe pretendoi se po sulmohej në mënyrë të verbër nga mediat ultra-majtiste, përmes një komunikimi online me BIRN. ATP pretendoi gjithashtu se simbolet e saj nuk kishin lidhje me ushtritë naziste apo fashiste, por simbolizonin një “rilidhje me traditën, rimëkëmbjen e saj dhe rrënjët identitare të Shqipërisë”.
“Qëndrimi ideologjik i ATP është Pozicioni i Tretë Politik, një botëkuptim që rrënjët i ka në traditën kombëtare si dhe në atë evropiane, nga ku ka origjinën dhe bën pjesë vendi ynë,” deklaroi ATP.
“Pozicioni i Tretë është kundër botës moderne dhe spektrit modern politik demokratik dhe si rrjedhojë kundërshton qëndrimet e së majtës komuniste dhe të djathtës kapitaliste,” shtoi ajo.
Disa përfaqësues të këtyre grupimeve i thanë BIRN se zhvillimet në Shtetet e Bashkuara nën udhëheqjen e presidentit Donald Trump dhe lëvizjes MAGA po i ndihmonin ata që të shprehen më lirshëm në hapësirën publike; ndërkohë që të tjerë po mendojnë që t’i strukturojnë grupimet e tyre drejt një projekti politik.
Erjoni* rreth të 30-ave foli me BIRN në kushtet e anonimatit dhe tha se pavarësisht historisë dhe konjukturës politike, idetë fashiste janë sot më të përhapura sesa mund të mendohet në shoqërinë shqiptare.
Ai vetë është pjesë e një grupimi të vogël miqsh, që mbështeti protestat e udhëhequra nga Koalicioni “Pro Familjes dhe Jetës” i drejtuar nga pastori Akil Pano kundër miratimit të ligjit për “Barazinë Gjinore” në nëntor 2025.
Erjoni thotë gjithashtu se ndjek me pozitivitet iniciativat në mbrojtje të trashëgimisë iliro-shqiptare apo ato për dekomunistizimin e jetës sociale, kulturore dhe edukative.
“Ne sot jemi vetëm grupe të vogla miqsh, bërthama me katër, pesë apo dhjetë shokë, pa ndonjë lidhje strukturore mes veti që bashkëndajmë të njëjtin vizion dhe ideologji politike,” tha ai për BIRN.
“Patriotizmi, tradicionalizmi, familja, morali dhe feja janë ende shumë të forta në Shqipëri,” theksoi ai.
Bakalli founded “Brerore” in 2018, after returning to the United States and deciding to bring the MAGA movement’s model of policymaking to Albania. Most recently, he has allied himself with “Young & Conservative” – a conservative youth organization whose members are affiliated with the Democratic Party Youth Forum and the Student Council at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Bakalli says that his movement's political stance is entirely consistent with the MAGA movement and in line with the US State Department document, recreated by Marco Rubio.
"Until yesterday, talking about what President Trump says in America was something that would land you in prison, and today Trump, after three assassination attempts, became president," said Bakalli, while claiming that he himself had been persecuted by the "security apparatus."
"So the point is that now we have the opportunity to express ourselves more, because there has been censorship of dissent," he added.
Albanian informal groups that embrace far-right ideologies are divided among themselves, but they are not isolated from contacts or connections with similar groups operating in Europe.
Albanian Third Position, ATP, has promoted its own links with the Ukrainian group Avantguardia, while being represented at a meeting called “Nation Europa” in August 2024 in Lviv, Ukraine. “Nation Europa” is described as a pan-European network of neo-Nazi organizations in Europe.
Journalist Michael Coulborne has also identified informal connections with individuals from Croatia, Poland or Italy – the latter not at all surprising according to him, as Albanian groups are particularly influenced by Italian fascism and far-right tendencies in Italy.
“Furthermore, some of these informal links appear to be linked to football hooliganism and ‘allied’ groups or individuals from other countries, although it should be noted that these links are not as deep and strong as they might be in other countries, such as Serbia,” said Coulborne.
Coulborne is of the opinion that if such groups are allowed to flourish without the attention of the media and other actors, then there is a risk that their ideas will gain more resonance in society, especially among young men.
“While their activities may currently take place within the bounds of the law, their ideas are inherently violent and ultimately focused on violence,” Coulborne said.
“Therefore, I think there is an obligation to pay attention to these groups and not ignore them just because they seem 'marginal' or small,” he concluded.
*Name has been changed to preserve anonymity.
Taken from Reporter.al
