01/06/2026
When : The paradox of :
The fact that the Prime Minister of Greece chooses to wish New Year 2026 through a song in the Albanian language of the Arvanites is not simply a holiday chronicle. It is the capitulation of silence in the face of history: It is a public acceptance of a truth that for decades was attempted to be covered up: modern Greece has deep Albanian roots. Greece is finally accepting that without Arvanite blood, it would not be what it is today. It is the acceptance that the pillars of the Greek state, culture and elite are built on Arvanite blood and language. However, this acceptance comes after a century of oppression and painful denial.
This historical journey carries a tragic paradox: figures of Arvanite origin have occasionally become executors of oppressive policies against their compatriots. The most chilling example remains Napoleon Zerva, the general of Arvanite origin, who led the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Cham population.
A nation becomes truly great only when it has the courage to look its own shadows in the eye. Facing the past does not make you weaker. On the contrary! Only a society that accepts its roots and apologizes for its mistakes can move forward with honesty. Mitsotakis' song may be a beginning, but historical justice demands that after the song come honesty about the truths that have not yet been fully told.
What is the meaning of the past? Is this a sincere gesture or just politics?