Protests against Albanian government continued on Sunday, October 18, for the sixth day in a row, with new clashes between protesters and the police in Tyrants. Thousands of citizens, including students and high school students, demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, while the government rejects the possibility of withdrawal and warns of the consequences of violence for the European integration of the country.
According to data released by the police on Sunday, 388 people have been charged with crimes related to the protests. Protesters and police officers were injured in the clashes, and security forces used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd outside the Ministry of Education, Reuters reported.
Riots gripped the center of Tirana during the past week, and the protests spread to other cities as well. Demonstrators pelted police with stones, set fire to government buildings and banks, and destroyed property as police intervened to regain control of the streets.
From student demands to resignation calls
The protests were launched due to dissatisfaction with conditions at universities, high costs of study, insufficient financial support for students and poor prospects for employment after graduation. The demands extended to the fight against corruption and calls for Rama to leave office.
The current wave of unrest follows months of demonstrations that were largely peaceful over the summer. They originally broke out because of the plan for the construction of a luxury tourist complex on the Albanian coast, which is supported by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. The project has drawn opposition due to its environmental impact and disputes over its legality.
On Wednesday, October 14, the protests in Tirana turned into major riots. Demonstrators set fire to the building of the Ministry of Education and two banks, while the police used water cannons and tear gas. The unrest also spread to the university centers of Elbasan and Shkodër.
Rama refuses to resign and warns against the European path
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected calls for his resignation on Sunday, arguing that the protests did not threaten his government, but Albania's bid to become a member of the European Union.
"It is not that I was challenged, that the government was challenged or that the winning party in the elections was challenged, but one path and one mission were challenged," Rama said in an address on Facebook.
He invited the students to talks, but at the same time accused unnamed foreign actors of inciting unrest. Rama also claimed that there was an attempted drone attack on his office during the week, which he also blamed on outside interests.
The European Commission condemned the violence during the protests, but at the same time supported the citizens' right to peaceful assembly.
Elections in 2025 and pressure for a fourth term
The political crisis erupted after Rama won a fourth consecutive term in parliamentary elections held in May 2025. His Socialist Party retained power, but in the following months, criticism intensified due to alleged corruption in state institutions and disputed development projects.
Rama has been at the head of the government since 2013, and the current protests represent one of the most serious challenges to his rule. The demonstrators, however, do not only express dissatisfaction with the prime minister, but also a wider disappointment with the political system, economic opportunities and opportunities for young people to stay and work in the country.
Albania, together with Montenegro, is among the countries of the Western Balkans that are progressing the fastest in the process of joining the European Union, and the authorities in Tirana state membership by 2030 as a goal.
So far, there is no indication that Rama is ready to back down under pressure from the protesters. At the same time, the spread of protests and their escalation into violence show that discontent is no longer limited to individual student demands, but has grown into a broader challenge to the ruling party.
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