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From the rubber to the EP/ The saga of the former train employee, Eriseld Zeneli, who now works in the European Parliament: I came to Italy in 1995
2025-08-04 12:16:20 / JETË
In 1992, his father boarded a dinghy from Albania in search of a future for his family. They first landed in Puglia, then headed for Savigny. There, the job, found thanks to word of mouth, took them.
"In '95, my mother and I arrived, I was not yet three years old. Italy and Bologna are my home, but to build my future, I had to leave the country. Too many prejudices and too few opportunities for us young people. If they call it 'brain drain', there is a reason."
Forced to emigrate twice
The story of Eriseld Zeneli, 33 years old, is the story of a double migration. From Albania to Bologna and from Bologna to Luxembourg, where she now works for the European Parliament.
"I would like to give back to Italy what it has given me in education by staying in Bologna, but it was not possible. Now I do it from Luxembourg, where I am employed in the representation of Italy."
For Zeneli, Italy is his country; Albania is simply his family roots and his native language. He arrived in Savigno when he was still a child, where he attended primary and secondary school, graduating from the Rosa Luxemburg School, while his parents, with great sacrifices, bought a small apartment in Monteveglio.
From a simple worker to a master with the maximum grade
“I didn’t follow the classic path,” says Zeneli. “After graduating from high school, I started working as a clerk because my family was poor and couldn’t afford university.”
After a few years, he saved up money and, while working, enrolled in Educational Sciences. He then completed a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology, which he completed with excellent results.
“Then I looked for another job and got hired as a conductor for Trenitalia. I worked on the Frecciarossa trains for three years and managed to buy a house in Bologna in 2021, but I realized that I wouldn’t have much chance to move forward.”
He sums up the situation in two sentences:
"Italy doesn't value and doesn't retain young talent. And I, with that name, surname and birthplace on my documents, encountered many closed doors."
Prejudice and the "name change" for the brother
Even in Bologna, prejudices were strong.
“They always saw me as the outsider, especially in my first years in Savigno. It got better in high school, but when I was looking for a job, they just saw my name and they stigmatized me.”
For this reason, when his brother was born six years later in Bologna, Zeneli insisted that his parents call him Giulio.
"He would have the city of Bologna on his documents, an Italian name and a surname that could be disguised. I didn't want him to go through what I went through."
From the train to the European Parliament
After several years of tiring work, Zeneli decided to leave his secure job and in 2022 applied for an internship at the European Parliament, which was offered to graduates with excellent results.
"I did a 7-month internship and then I was offered a permanent job. Today I work in the personnel department of the European Parliament in Luxembourg. In Italy I would have had to deal with a long, insecure and low-paid job; here they pay well and allow you to advance, even without a rich family background."
"I, the son of a truck driver who came by raft and a housewife, work here today and I don't experience prejudice. In Luxembourg I have never felt the weight of my origins, I no longer feel like a stranger. You are judged only by the work you do: if you do it well, you advance; if not, you fall down."
An inspiring story
A post on social media, where he tells the story of his life with a photo as a child in Albania and another at the age of 33 sitting in the European Parliament, is going viral in Italy and Europe. In it, Zeneli recounts his difficult path and calls on young people not to give up.
But he also expresses a bitter reflection on Italy:
"This experience represents the reality of an entire generation that loves Italy, but is often forced to leave to be fulfilled. A phenomenon that, although silent, has a very high cost for our country."
"Italy prepares you very well, opens doors for you abroad, but then doesn't keep you around, even when you want to give back something of what it has given you."
"I love it very much, but it's just like the country. I would like to meet the mayor of Lepore and tell him my story to make a contribution, if he wants it."
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