Earlier this week in Tirana, Albania’s capital, thousands of demonstrators opposed to the government clashed violently with riot police near state buildings, with demonstrators demanding the government’s resignation after a massive .
Albania’s primary opposition party urged citizens to protest and call for Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s resignation after a special prosecutor indicted her, claiming she was unduly influenced to show preference for a specific company in a bidding process for building a 3.7-mile tunnel in southern Albania.
In November, Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime removed Balluku from her government position, but Prime Minister Edi Rama appealed to the Constitutional Court, which returned Balluku to her post in December.
Balluku rejected the charges, stating that the claims against her constituted “mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies.” Rama has declined to remove her from office.
The corruption accusations triggered broad public anger, leading to demonstrations in recent months.
“The surge of popular demonstrations in Albania indicates an expanding public pushback against what critics call Prime Minister Edi Rama’s progressively authoritarian governance,” stated Agim Nesho, previously Albania’s ambassador to the U.S. and United Nations, in comments to Digital.
“Having held power for over ten years, Rama faces accusations of consolidating power and tailoring state institutions to his personal control, while his administration has confronted ongoing claims of collusion with organized criminal networks and diverting public money and resources for the advantage of politically allied beneficiaries,” Nesho asserted.
The questionable situation involving Rama’s key associate and the absence of accountability strengthens the widespread belief among Albanians that their administration is deeply corrupt. With corruption allegations targeting both the current government and opposition leaders, trust in public institutions and the judicial system has continuously declined.
Albania suffers from a deep-rooted history of governmental corruption, placing 91st among 182 nations in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.
The when backers of Berisha’s opposition Democratic Party hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at Tirana’s government buildings. Law enforcement countered with water cannons and tear gas.
Berisha maintains the , and that individuals are simply expressing dissent against Rama’s growing authoritarian control and his assaults on the judicial system.
The Associated Press reported that a minimum of 16 demonstrators received medical treatment for wounds and 13 were taken into custody.
Regional analysts think Berisha, who served as prime minister from 2005 to 2013 and was himself charged with corruption, is positioning himself to oust the socialist prime minister and chief political opponent, Rama, and regain leadership.
Albania’s unrest occurs as the nation has long pursued , starting in 2014 when it achieved official candidate status. Though the 2025 European Commission annual report noted Albania’s considerable progress on judicial reforms and fighting organized crime, the recent accusations against Rami’s administration will hinder its EU membership prospects.
The U.S. supported the implementation of Albania’s judicial reform initiative, which included establishing the Specialized Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK). The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) committed millions of dollars to promote democratic advancement in Albania and helped address the country’s corruption challenges while reinforcing its fragile institutions.
Nesho cautioned that the U.S. and European Union must adopt a more serious approach to their Western Balkans policy and support Albania’s advancement toward European integration.
“If Washington and Brussels persist in ignoring the situation—neglecting to enforce , reestablish genuine checks and balances, and sever the regime’s connections to organized crime and narcotics trafficking—Albania could slide toward Eastern-model authoritarianism,” Nesho warned.