A protest led by Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party (PD) escalated into violence on Tuesday as demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks at the Prime Minister’s office in central Tirana.
The unrest followed a speech by PD leader Sali Berisha, who has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government. Protesters briefly clashed with police, attempting to dismantle metal barricades and breach the cordon outside the government building.
Police responded by deploying water cannons to disperse the crowd and extinguish fires, repeatedly urging participants, including children present at the scene, to leave. No serious injuries were immediately reported, though authorities confirmed one police officer was injured.
Albania, a small Balkan country of about 2.8 million people, has witnessed recurring street protests in recent years, with opposition parties criticizing the government over issues ranging from corruption and economic policy to alleged attempts to consolidate political power. The country, a candidate for European Union membership, faces ongoing scrutiny over rule-of-law reforms and political stability.
Berisha has previously called for mass demonstrations against what he describes as government mismanagement, and Tuesday’s protest marks the latest in a series of increasingly confrontational demonstrations in Tirana.
Local media reported that after the intervention, many protesters began dispersing, while tensions remained high outside the government offices.
Albania’s political landscape has been rocked by the high‑profile corruption investigation into Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku, a close ally of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The case centers on allegations that Balluku improperly influenced multimillion‑euro public procurement tenders for major infrastructure projects, including the Llogara Tunnel and sections of the Tirana Outer Ring Road, by skewing criteria to favour certain companies — accusations she denies.
In late November 2025, Albania’s Special Anti‑Corruption Prosecution (SPAK) formally charged Balluku with violating equality and competition rules in public tenders and sought to bar her from office and travel abroad. Following this, the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) suspended her from her government roles and prohibited her from leaving the country.
The government appealed the suspension to the Constitutional Court, which in December temporarily reinstated her duties while the broader constitutional challenge moves forward. A full plenary review is expected to examine whether the lower court’s suspension violated constitutional protections, and the case remains under judicial and political scrutiny.
Separately, SPAK has asked the Albanian Parliament to lift Balluku’s parliamentary immunity so it can pursue her arrest or further legal action, a move that has become a flashpoint in political tensions between the ruling Socialist Party and opposition parties.
The controversy has sparked wider unrest, contributing to clashes in Parliament and violent street protests in Tirana, with demonstrators demanding accountability and the resignation of senior officials tied to alleged graft.