Albanian Minister Blendi Gonxhja Clarifies ‘tufë budallenjsh’ Protester Comment

Blendi Gonxhja, Albania's minister of tourism, culture and sport, clarified his earlier remark that labelled some demonstrators as “tufë budallenjsh” (a bunch of idiots). In an interview on the program “Off the Record” with Andrea Danglli on A2CNN, Gonxhja said the term was aimed only at the minority (he estimated 25‑100 individuals) who threw stones, blocked entrances and acted violently, not at all participants in the protests. He further stressed that the current protests differ from the events of 21 January, noting that the political context and the government's security measures have changed. Gonxhja asserted that there are no more fences or iron doors around the parliament and that today’s protests remain civil and civic, unlike the violent incidents he referenced.