Student-led protests continued in Albania for a sixth day, with continued demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.
Despite these calls, Rama refuses to step down, saying the protests did not pose a threat to the government but rather a threat to Albania’s ambition to join the European Union.
What Rama said
“I am not challenged, the government is not challenged, a government majority or a party winning in elections is not challenged but a path is questioned, a mission is questioned,” Rama said in a Facebook live speech.
“Albanians need to think very clearly: do they want this, do they want that, or do they want the EU?” » asked Rama.
Rama ruled out resigning and said the protests were “the work of an outside hand.”
Earlier in the week, Rama ruled out resignation, saying governments were changed through elections.
Student-led protests, spurred by discontent over allegations of government corruption, unemployment and poor education levels, rocked central Tirana and spread to other cities last week.
Continued clashes between demonstrators and police
On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Ministry of Education, chanting “Rama, resign!” and threw stones at riot police who responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets.
The protests come at a difficult time for Albania, which is part of a group of Balkan states seeking to join the EU by 2030.
Calls for calm were launched from Brussels amid the violent protests. The European Commission on Sunday condemned the use of violence in Tirana and other cities.
The commission added that it welcomed the Albanian authorities’ commitment to protecting the right to protest.
Editing: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
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