50 The Unfinished Business of rT ansitional Justice: Reparation of oF rmer Political Prisoners in Post-Communist Albania CONCLUSIONS The overthrow of the communist regime in Albania was different from some other East European countries. In Albania, we saw mostly an elite reproduction, not an elite replacement. The newborn elite lacked the willingness to properly deal with the communist past. On the contrary, TJ measures were often used for short term political gains. The reparation policies have been fragmented without taking into consideration victims’ needs. Reparation of former political prisoners after the fall of the communist regime was not perceived as a state obligation toward the victims of the communist regime but as a state’s privileges. Currently, a gap exists between victims’ needs and measures provided by the state. Until now priority has been given to material compensation – even though important issues were raised by interviewed political prisoners - however, not much consideration has been paid to the acknowledgment of what has happened, the responsibility for it by state and perpetrators and the establishment of the truth. In Albania, we never had a so-called ‘reparation program’ for the victims of communism. The measures taken until now are initiatives driven by the persistence of victims through hunger strikes and protests. Additionally, the procrastination over financial compensation has impacted its effectiveness and questioned the state’s responsibility towards victims. Former political prisoners are a heterogeneous group with diverse needs and beliefs, and their reparation depends on diverse factors. Nevertheless, this study shows that several measures would enhance the reparation of former political prisoners. Satisfactory financial compensation, accountability of perpetrators, the establishment of truth and acknowledgment for what happened, social and political empowerment, alienation with the former regime are some of the measures that this study found to enhance the reparation of former political prisoners.