Violence breaks out close to parliament as demonstrators demand accountability in corruption investigation linked to deputy prime minister.
Revealed On 21 Feb 2026
Police within the Albanian capital, Tirana, fired tear gasoline and used water cannon as protesters clashed with safety forces throughout demonstrations to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails and fireworks on the prime minister’s workplace on Friday earlier than marching in direction of parliament, the place they have been confronted by anti-riot police.
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Fierce clashes lasted for about two hours within the streets surrounding the legislature, in line with a journalist with the AFP information company who was on the scene of the violence.
Police mentioned about 30 folks have been arrested, whereas the opposition Democratic Get together mentioned about 40 of its supporters had been detained.
Protests within the streets of the capital have damaged out on a number of events for the reason that indictment in December of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku by a particular prosecution unit. Balluku, a detailed affiliate of Rama, was suspended over a corruption scandal that’s now being investigated.
A number of former ministers in Rama’s governments have additionally been focused by corruption probes.
Waving Albanian and opposition social gathering flags, 1000’s gathered on Friday in protest, chanting “Rama, go away” and “Rama in jail”.
“We are going to save Albania from Edi Rama, who has plunged the nation into poverty and corruption,” mentioned opposition Democratic Get together chief Sali Berisha.
“Allow them to know that even when they go behind the solar, we’ll discover them and punish them with the complete pressure of the regulation,” Berisha mentioned.
Inside Minister Albana Kociu condemned the unrest, accusing the protesters of “vandalism” and saying that it was a “crime” to assault police.
Rama’s Socialist Get together holds a cushty parliamentary majority in Albania after profitable a fourth consecutive term final yr.
Aiming to hitch the European Union by 2030, Albanian politics has seen an extended and bitter rivalry between left and right-wing events, with either side often accusing the opposite of corruption and hyperlinks to organised crime.
