Protests to oust Edi Rama: Former minister Ermelinda Meksi says society needs not only voices that speak but a culture that listens

Former Socialist Party minister and economic expert, Ermelinda Meksi, has commented on the role of intellectuals in public debate, regarding the protests calling for the removal of Prime Minister Edi Rama, focusing on the question that, according to her, is often posed to guests in interviews: “Why don’t intellectuals speak?”

Meksi says that, “speaking in the public arena requires intellectual courage and moral integrity,” adding that she has never hesitated to publicly express what she believed serves the public interest and decision-making.

According to her, the problem is not only whether intellectuals speak or not, but also the fact that, “how much their voice is heard and how much weight is given to reasoned opinion in public debate,” emphasizing that “a democratic society needs not only voices that speak, but also a culture that listens to and values them.”

Why don’t intellectuals speak?

To this question that moderators often address to guests during interviews, I would answer: “Speaking in the public arena requires intellectual courage and moral integrity. I see this also in many of my university colleagues, who have chosen to express themselves publicly.

Personally, I have never hesitated to say, responsibly, what I believed serves public opinion and decision-making. I have done this both when I was part of active politics, and during the last 15 years, when I have not been part of it, although not everyone knows this.

But I believe the question is not only why intellectuals speak or don’t speak. Equally important is to ask: how much is their voice heard and how much weight is given to reasoned opinion in public debate?

A democratic society needs not only voices that speak, but also a culture that listens to and values them.”