PM Edi Rama Refuses to Resign Amid Student Protests In Albania

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said on Thursday that he will not resign from his post in the wake of the violent student-led protests that have entered into its third day.

Thousands of students have taken to the streets of Tirana over rising education costs, conditions at universities, financial support, employment opportunities after graduation, and corruption.

They are calling for Rama to resign. Protesters smashed windows and damaged property in the capital, while police used water cannons to disperse the crowds.

Rama, while responding to Reuters, said, “As for calls for my resignation, governments are changed through democratic elections. ⁠We had elections last year, not a revolution.”

The protests come after months of mostly peaceful demonstrations against a planned luxury resort on Albania’s southern coast. The project, backed by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has also faced legal challenges.

Parliament cancelled its session following the unrest. The protests are the biggest challenge to Rama since he won a fourth term last year, promising to push for EU membership.

Rama said, “My responsibility ‌is to listen, address ‌legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward. The alternative would be a betrayal ‌of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership,” according to Reuters.

Protests In Albania Have Turned Violent

Police said at least six officers and a female journalist were injured, while 23 people were arrested.

According to the police statement, officers urged protesters to stop attacking the ministry. However, some continued to throw Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, stones, and other objects at police, Al Jazeera reported.

The Albanian Prime Minister has said that he is ready to discuss the rising cost of education, but he also added: "Attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety have nothing to do with the legitimate demands of students," according to Reuters.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Albana Kociu wrote on Facebook: “Violence has not been, is not, and will never be a solution. Throwing stones, attacking institutions and the state police, as well as the senseless destruction of public property, are not how youth should express themselves.”