Albania’s PM dismisses calls to resign as student protests spread

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama dismisses calls to resign as student protests spread across the country.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama has dismissed calls for his resignation as thousands of protesters clash with riot police in the capital for the third day in a row, leaving government buildings damaged. The protests, which began in response to a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump's family, have spread to several smaller cities as students joined university boycotts. Demonstrators have accused officials of corruption and neglecting education, expressing anger about the sale of parts of Albania's southern coastline to a luxury resort development. Rama, whose government denies corruption, said he would be ready to discuss rising education costs but rejected the calls to resign.

Rama condemned the “chaos” that caused damage to government buildings, and said he would not allow violence to derail Albania's European future. He also posted a video on his Facebook page showing him touring the burnt-out remains of an office at a university campus in Tirana. “Until yesterday, this was the office of the College of Europe, the school of a united Europe,” he said in the video, his first public comments since the protests began.

The protests have been marked by clashes between demonstrators and police, with riot police using water cannons and tear gas against crowds of protesters in the capital, Tirana. Demonstrators have also set fire to bins and smashed their way into several government buildings, leaving the streets littered with burnt-out rubbish bins, shattered bus stops and broken traffic lights.

The escalation of protests comes after months of anti-government demonstrations in the country, with protesters demanding real change and a government that works for its people, not against them. Journalism student Teftalia Papa told AFP that protesters want a better Albania, where healthcare provides basic standards, education provides decent conditions and equal opportunities, and students can afford to study and live without being crushed by rising costs.