Albanian protests swell as opposition challenges government ahead of parliamentary session

On July 5, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tirana outside the parliament and the prime minister’s offices, demanding changes to the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The opposition Socialist Party (PS) sent deputies early to the assembly, and incidents were recorded as the plenary session began.

Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari posted on social media condemning the protesters, calling them “moralists,” “critical all‑holics,” and “delirious revolutionaries,” and alleging that violence at Police Station No. 3 was part of a coordinated campaign. Opposition figures including MP Marjana Koçeku, who said the protests signal a shift in Albanian youth attitudes, and former minister Sali Ibrahimaj, who warned that violence does not serve dialogue, described the current administration as an “oligarchic dictatorship” and called for Rama’s removal.