Speaking on the TV political show “Opinion”, Rama listened to audio from a 1990 interview recorded at what is now the University of Arts and said he had never imagined returning to the very same premises for tonight’s interview as prime minister.

““I never imagined I would come back here in the role I have today. I never imagined I would one day be involved in politics in the everyday sense of the word,” Rama said.

He stressed that in 1990 he had no intention of joining a political party, saying freedom – not ambition – had pushed him onto that path.

“It was freedom, not political ambition. I had absolutely no desire to engage in day-to-day politics or to commit to a party,” he said. “I saw it purely as a dimension of freedom that I needed.”

Rama said the first seeds of political change were planted at the then Academy of Arts, particularly in visual arts and theatre, where censorship and isolation were felt “very concretely, every day.”

During the show, archival footage was shown from the period when Rama worked as a lecturer at the university. He recalled that state media at the time was largely focused on portraying the achievements of workers and agricultural cooperatives, though a limited opening had begun.

“There was a slight opening, even in the only television channel of the time – a sense of ‘let’s ask these people too,’” he said.

Rama also spoke about his relationship with his father, saying that despite being a figure of authority, he never imposed his views on him.

“I owe my father something very important: despite being a man of authority, he never used it to tell me, ‘think the way I think,’” Rama said.

He also recalled the strong influence of his grandmother, sharing advice he said continues to guide him.

“She used to say: you will make mistakes, and people will not always be happy with you. But never forget that the most important meeting in your life will be the last one,” Rama said, recounting her words. “You will be asked not what you did for yourself, but what you did for others.”

Rama said that memory often returns to him during difficult moments or periods of intense criticism, serving as a reminder to keep perspective.

“It helps restore balance, especially when the weight of things becomes heavy,” he said.

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