Gentle Power 41. What intergovernmental negotiations look like from the finance minister’s seat
In this week’s episode, Gerta sits down with her father, Arben Malaj, for a candid conversation about leadership under pressure, values-based negotiation, and what it looks like to take responsibility when everything is on the line. Arben is a prominent public figure in Albania and served as Minister of Finance during the country’s 1997 economic collapse, when pyramid schemes wiped out roughly half of Albania’s GDP and pushed the country into chaos.
This is part one of the interview, focusing on Arben’s background, the crisis years, and the negotiation principles that guided him through some of the most turbulent moments in Albania’s modern history.
Our conversation covers:
From limited education under communism to winning high-stakes negotiations
What happens when governments fail to act and how trust, power, and responsibility collide
Being asked to lead during a national crisis
Why integrity, sincerity, and goodwill matter more than leverage in high-stakes negotiations
Lessons on leadership that translate far beyond politics and into everyday decision-making
We’ll continue this conversation in part two, where we go deeper into negotiations, international diplomacy, and the long-term lessons from rebuilding after collapse.
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