Rama Blames ‘Foreign Hands’ as Albania’s Unrest Spreads
Albania’s prime minister has ruled out resigning after four days of clashes that have spread from Tirana to Durrës, Shkodër, Vlora, Korçë and other cities, with a floor of the education ministry set on fire. “These are foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace… they do not want Albania to be part of the united European family,” Edi Rama said.
The protests began as a student movement over education costs and the cost of living, but they draw on a summer of peaceful “Flamingo” demonstrations against a coastal resort project linked to Jared Kushner and on growing corruption allegations: one deputy prime minister has fled the country and another has been told to step down. Mr Rama also blamed the opposition leader Sali Berisha, though Berisha’s own rallies have been far smaller. Police made 65 arrests on Wednesday, and Tirana’s hospitals treated 89 people, 61 of them officers. The stakes are European: Albania is among the leading candidates for EU membership, and Mr Rama says his mandate is to finish those negotiations. The Foreign Office advises visitors to avoid demonstrations.