[REVISION HISTORY]

Political polarization and student unrest in Albania

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2026-10-24 20:01 UTC → 2026-10-24 20:24 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The ‘Flamingo Revolution’ in Albania has intensified, with student-led protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and systemic reforms in education and elections. Driven by grievances over corruption, economic hardship, and a luxury coastal development project associated with Jared Kushner, the unrest has spread from Tirana to cities including Shkodër, Korçë, Vlorë, and Elbasan. As demonstrations have continued for over 130 days, tensions have centered around government buildings. Protesters have targeted the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Education, the Bank of Albania, and the offices of the Socialist Party using stones, bricks, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails. Recent escalations have seen demonstrators setting fire to the entrance of the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and municipality buildings. In response, riot police have deployed tear gas, water cannons, and rubber or plastic bullets. Casualties have included police officers, demonstrators, and media representatives. Reported injuries include a Member of Parliament and a News24 journalist who sustained extensive burns, as well as a man with a severe eye injury from a plastic bullet. Some reports indicate that over 300 people, including protesters and police, have sustained injuries. Political friction has also intensified within the Assembly, where the Ethics Committee approved a request to suspend six opposition Democratic Party members for 60 days. Taulant Balla, leader of the Prime Minister’s parliamentary group, has accused the Democratic Party of acting as a ‘Molotov warehouse.’ Prime Minister Rama has characterized the violence as a ‘hybrid war’ fueled by external forces, while protesters have described the administration as a ‘dictatorship dressed in the garb of democracy.’

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