Marjana Koçeku Responds with Irony: Besa Cannot Be Understood by Those Who Turn Land into Plots for High-Rises

Through a Facebook post, independent MP Marjana Koçeku has pushed back against the latest statements by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been addressing Albanians, asking them to trust in “besa.”

According to her, besa constitutes a sacred notion, rooted in tradition, in land, and in origin, and therefore cannot be stripped of its meaning and used as a political slogan. “People who have no idea what besa is are talking about it. First of all, besa is an unwritten contract between people and, as such, it is deeply natural,” she writes.

Koçeku emphasizes that our ancestors linked besa to the land, the mountain, the stone, and the settlement, considering these elements as witnesses to the given word. She adds that even when individuals involved in blood feuds or crimes seek reconciliation, according to tradition they return to the ancestral tower, to the meadow, or to the village church to receive besa.

The MP ironically notes that those who perceive land simply as a surface for building multi-story towers or tourist complexes cannot grasp the essence of this concept. “Those who see the land only as a plot for high-rise towers and resorts can hardly understand this concept that for us highlanders is beyond sacred,” she stresses in her reaction.

In closing, Koçeku expresses her conviction that the connection to land and nature forms the foundation of besa, adding: “Therefore, people who lose their connection to the land, their place, and nature cannot be given besa!”