On the day of the IV Diaspora Summit, Ermelinda Meksi recounted and at the same time denounced through her personal story what she describes as “the lack of transparency and meritocracy in Albanian institutions.”
Meksi recounts how her son, a cybersecurity professional in Austria, attempted to bring an international company to Albania to contribute to the digital protection of institutions, but was faced with total silence from the authorities.
According to her, only after the scandal broke did it become clear why this initiative received no response.
Ermelinda Meksi’s full post
Personal story beyond the Diaspora Summit
Watching the Diaspora Summit on TV, I cannot help but return to a personal experience that speaks louder than any speech.
My son, who has been in Austria for 12 years, has always maintained the desire to return and contribute to Albania. Graduated in International Business Management, while pursuing his master’s studies, he works in an international company in the field of cybersecurity. He has also passionately pursued fields such as IT and AI, becoming certified on international platforms.
Last year, after learning about the cyber attacks that had occurred in Albania, he proposed to his company, which operates in many countries, to expand to our country. From the analysis of experts, it resulted that several Albanian institutions were seriously exposed to cyber risk.
With the desire to contribute, he wrote to the relevant institutions, explaining with professionalism what the company offered to reduce this risk.
He received no response.
He told me about how he had written to several Albanian institutions a few days later, with a disappointment that was clearly visible in his eyes. He felt embarrassed by the lack of ethics of our institutions in front of the company’s leaders, who were aware of the communication and expected a minimal reaction.
He asked me for help, if only to get an official response, whatever it was.
But even my attempt to ask for help from two colleagues resulted in no success in getting a response. I am mentioning by name only one of the institutions, which my son contacted via official email: AKSHI; for the others I am maintaining ethics.
When the AKSHI scandal broke, it became clear that the silence had not been a coincidence.
When we later learned about large investment figures, the reason for the lack of response was understood even more clearly.
How can projects double from 2 to 4 million? How can a serious company operate in a system where bribery becomes part of the game?
And in the end it comes to the painful conclusion: “It was better not to receive an answer than to be involved in that reality.”
But this is not an isolated case. Many young people today, despite their desire to contribute, face a lack of listening, a lack of meritocracy and a system that favors clientelistic connections more than ability.
While listening to the Diaspora Summit, I naturally wanted answers on: what concrete results have the summits brought so far? How many bridges of cooperation have actually been built and how many professionals have been significantly involved?
The Albanian diaspora has contributed over the years not only through remittances or investments, but also through the knowledge, experience and standards it has built abroad. Perhaps the time has come for the focus to shift more precisely to the contribution of human capital.
Because the greatest value that the diaspora can bring is not only financial, but also knowledge, professionalism and work culture that can really help in the development of the country.
The desire to contribute exists and is sincere. What is required is a more open, more responsible and merit-based approach, so that these energies and capacities do not remain unused.
Only in this way can the summits turn into trust and a concrete contribution to the country; otherwise, they risk remaining a mere facade.
PS I am not sharing this personal story because I was surprised by what happened to my son, or to individualize a case, but to reflect on a reality that many young people experience, not only those in the diaspora. I believe that only by giving voice to these stories, decision-makers can better understand where policymaking needs to be improved.
E. Meksi, Vienna, April 15, 2026
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