Rama Returns to Theth One Year After Demolitions: Illegal Construction Took Over the Meadow by the Church, a World-Famous Landmark

Prime Minister Edi Rama was in Theth on Tuesday, where he presented the “Mountain Package” to local residents.

During the visit, the head of government also spoke about the operation carried out a year earlier, when homes and businesses were demolished on the grounds that they were located within the protected area and were damaging it.

Rama defended the operation, saying that illegal construction in the mountain village increased immediately after his visit ahead of last year’s parliamentary elections. According to him, unauthorized buildings even encroached on the heart of Theth: the church and the green meadow in the center of the village, which he described as a “world-famous postcard.”

Edi Rama said the government had honored its commitment to legalize existing buildings to the letter. However, according to him, unauthorized construction surged after his visit, as though approval had been given for anyone to build.

The prime minister said the very heart of Theth and the image by which the area is known worldwide had been struck. He stressed that if Theth is searched for on Google in different languages, the first image that appears is the church with the green meadow.

According to Rama, within a short period of time, the meadow was taken over by several wooden houses, while the area was fenced off, covered with gravel and turned into a scar in the middle of Theth. He questioned how such interventions could be allowed.

Rama described what residents had done before the government began helping them as genuine heroism. He said that previously the area had gone for months without government support, roads, electricity or communications, a reality that, according to him, the residents themselves knew best.

The head of government recalled that those who stayed in Theth during the winter had no way either to leave or to receive visitors, particularly in the event of a major family tragedy or illness.

He added that the government’s goal was to take the area’s development to another level and improve quality through a proper system, permits and high-quality projects, rather than uncontrolled construction. Rama cited as an example the work being carried out with the 11 applicants, as well as with other interested individuals who have hired architects.