Besnik Mustafaj studied language and French civilisation at the university of Tirana where he became a professor in foreign literature, working also as a journalist and translator. In December 1990, he joined the student protests which brought about the fall of the Stalinist dictator, events which marked his entrance into politics. He was co-founder of the Democratic Party, the first non-communist party in Albania. In the first free elections in March 1991, he was elected deputy leader of the party and re-elected to parliament three times. In 2008, he quit politics permanently to return to writing essays and novels, as well as for the theatre.