Police in Tirana used tear gas and water cannon on Friday (20 February) after opposition protesters clashed with officers near the office of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Demonstrators threw petrol bombs and fireworks, demanding the government’s resignation amid corruption allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.
The unrest follows a December indictment by Albania’s Special Prosecution Office, which accused Balluku of interfering in public tenders for major infrastructure projects. She denies wrongdoing.
Key developments:
• An anti-corruption court has suspended Belinda Balluku from office.
• Prosecutors have asked parliament to lift her immunity to enable arrest.
• Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha warned that “Edi Rama’s days are numbered”.
• Rama has criticised what he describes as judicial overreach.
Albania, led by Rama’s majority Socialist Party, is seeking European Union membership by 2030, with anti-corruption reforms central to its EU accession bid.
ℹ️ Reuters
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 