Framing the Protest in Zvërnec and Identity Narratives in Albanian–Greek Public Discourse

The reported incident in Zvërnec, occurring in the context of a citizens' protest, has been interpreted in public discourse through multiple frames, with a notable shift from a civic dimension toward an identity-based interpretation. Drawing on framing theory and constructivist approaches to nationalism, this article examines how ethnic identity can become a dominant category in the public representation of local events in historically sensitive contexts such as the Western Balkans.¹

Framing and the Construction of Public Meaning

Public events are not communicated in a neutral manner but through the selection and emphasis of specific aspects of reality. According to Entman, framing is the process through which certain elements of a communicative text are made more salient, thereby shaping problem definition, causal attribution, moral evaluation, and potential remedies.²

The Civic Context of the Zvërnec Protest

The protest reported in Zvërnec is associated with concerns expressed by local residents regarding issues related to property rights, territorial administration, and institutional decision-making at the local level.

Normatively, the right to peaceful assembly and expression constitutes a fundamental element of democratic systems and is guaranteed by international human rights instruments, including Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.³

The Shift Toward Identity-Based Framing

Following the reported incident, part of the public discourse shifted toward the ethnic identity of one of the individuals involved. In the literature on political communication, this process is described as "ethnic framing," where identity becomes the central interpretive category of conflict, replacing structural or situational context.

Brubaker argues that the uncritical use of ethnic categories as analytical units risks treating them as fixed and homogeneous entities, while in reality they are relational, situational, and context-dependent.?

Regional Context and Historical Sensitivity

The Western Balkans is characterized by the intertwining of historical narratives with contemporary political developments.

Todorova has argued that the region is often represented through discursive constructions that produce "historical and geographical imaginations," shaping the interpretation of present-day events.?

Within this context, Albanian–Greek relations represent a complex space of interaction combining institutional cooperation, social interconnection, and periodic reactivation of historical narratives in public discourse.

Perceptions of Normative Standards

In Albanian public discourse, recurring concerns have been expressed regarding cases involving Albanian citizens in Greece, particularly in contexts related to law enforcement interventions or legal proceedings.

While each case must be assessed individually and empirically, such perceptions contribute to broader understandings of the consistency in the application of human rights standards and the principle of equality before the law.

The universality principle requires equal legal protection regardless of nationality or ethnic affiliation.?

Interaction of Levels of Interpretation

The Zvërnec case is situated at the intersection of three analytical levels:

the local level of social conflict and civic mobilization

the discursive level of media and political framing

the structural level of historical and identity narratives in the region

This interaction enables a local event to acquire broader symbolic meanings beyond its empirical scope.

Conclusion

The interpretation of local events requires a clear analytical distinction between civic roles and ethnic identity, as well as between empirical fact and discursive framing.

A shift from contextual interpretation toward identity-based framing increases the risk of misrepresentation and amplification of events beyond their original scale.

An approach grounded in conceptual differentiation, normative consistency, and interpretive caution contributes to a more accurate understanding of events and to the reduction of discursive tensions in public space.

Footnotes:

1. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, rev. ed. (London: Verso, 1991); Rogers Brubaker, Ethnicity without Groups (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004). These works form the basis of constructivist approaches to national and ethnic identity, emphasizing their socially constructed rather than essential nature.

2. Robert M. Entman, "Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm," Journal of Communication 43, no. 4 (1993): 51–58. Entman provides one of the most influential definitions of framing in political communication, highlighting how media structures reality through selection and salience.

3. United Nations, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), adopted 1966, Article 21. This provision guarantees the right to peaceful assembly as a fundamental civil and political right under international law.

4. Rogers Brubaker, Ethnicity without Groups (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 7–12. Brubaker critiques the reification of ethnic categories and proposes a relational and process-oriented approach to group formation.

5. Maria Todorova, Imagining the Balkans (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997). Todorova examines how the Balkans are constructed through external and internal discursive narratives shaping regional perception.

6. United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Articles 1–2; European Convention on Human Rights, Article 14. These instruments establish the principles of equality and non-discrimination as foundational norms in international human rights law.

The Land of Leka, 01.06.2026