Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday accused an opposition parliamentary party of systematically using violence as a political tool, drawing comparisons with extremist movements in Europe’s 20th-century history.
In a post on social media, Rama said that while protests across Europe often involve a wide range of groups – including anarchists, environmental activists, students, anti-globalisation campaigners and extremist factions – only one parliamentary party on the continent has, he claimed, made violence an integral part of its political programme since its founding.
Rama alleged that the party has repeatedly engaged in the destruction of property, attacks on state institutions and the mobilisation of paramilitary-style groups. He said such actions included assaults on public buildings and the use of Molotov cocktails, which he said had resulted in injuries to police officers and damage to public and private property.
The prime minister also accused protest organisers of recruiting individuals for payment and concealing their identities to avoid being identified by security cameras.
Rama described the latest protests as a sign of political degeneration and desperation, and expressed support for police officers injured during the clashes.