The dream of the Albanian youth has always been the same – to be a part of the European Union. The students of the 90s era rose in the largest anti-communist protests against the government in December of the same year, chanting loudly, "We want Albania to be like all of Europe."

Albania has been living the European ideal throughout its whole history. Amid the reign of the National Hero Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, Albanians developed strong ties with Venice and other Western nations.

The integration of Albania into the European Union has been regarded as the most critical national priority, since the demolishment of the communist regime, following the significant democratic developments that overthrew the totalitarian rule.

According to New York Times, tempers caused after the Civil Wars in 1997 eventually calmed, opening the way for Albania to apply to join the European Union in 2009 and win candidate status in 2014 for future entry to the bloc.

In June 2014, Albania got the status of an EU candidate nation. Albania was held back for a long time because of the requirements imposed by the European Union for membership.

Now, the start of EU enrollment negotiations is dependent on the full accomplishment of five major goals, including establishing an unbiased government, strengthening the legal system's independence, resistance to corruption, combating organized crime, and protecting human rights.

Statistically speaking, in 2020, there were 661,365 young people between the ages of 15 and 29, which equates to 23.2% of the total population. There are 333,435 and 327,930 people in the 15-29 age range, respectively, according to INSTAT (Albanian National Statistical Institute).

There is a large influx of young immigrants. More than 140,000 young people have departed Albania over the past ten years. Albania will be fully depopulated within the next 70 years due to the high rates of young people leaving it, according to international research, even if INSTAT has not released data on youth immigration.

Numerous polls and research reveal that young Albanians no longer have faith in the nation's institutions, feeling that they are primarily exploited for political ends without the chance to influence or be the focal point of these initiatives.

The power of change is youth. Regardless of political differences, it can unite everyone and influence a nation's future. The nation's integration initiatives should place a high priority on young people since they will be their future leaders.

Theodore Roosevelt, the former president of the United States, once said: "We cannot construct the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future". Hopefully, Albania will be able to accomplish that in the future.