Prime Minister holds phone call with UAE Foreign Minister

For a sixth consecutive day, student-led protests have continued in Albania, with demonstrators urging Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Rama, however, remains unyielding in his refusal to step down, asserting that the protests are not a threat to the government but rather a challenge to Albania's aspirations to join the European Union.

In a live address on Facebook, Rama stated, "I am not being challenged, the government is not being challenged, a government majority or a winning party in the elections is not being challenged but a path is being challenged, a mission is being challenged."

Rama emphasized that Albanians must carefully consider whether they want change or the EU. He also dismissed the protests as the work of an external force. Rama previously ruled out resigning, arguing that governments are changed through elections. The student-led demonstrations, fueled by discontent over alleged government corruption, unemployment, and subpar education standards, have been active in central Tirana and have since spread to other cities.

The clashes between protesters and riot police last Sunday resulted in rocks being thrown at law enforcement, who responded with tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets. The protests have occurred at a challenging time for Albania, which is among a group of Balkan states striving to join the EU by 2030. Brussels has called for calm amidst the violent protests, condemning the use of violence in Tirana and other cities.

The European Commission welcomed the Albanian authorities' commitment to protecting the right to protest.