In a statement published on Sunday 18 October, the European Commission condemned the violence during protests against Edi Rama’s government. The protests have been fuelled by poor study conditions at universities and corruption.
“Violence has no place in a democratic society, and the response to it must remain within the law and proportionate”, the EU institution said.
The protesters’ main demand is the resignation of the Albanian Prime Minister. The protests have led to several days of clashes with the police. Public buildings, shops and banks have been set alight or damaged. The European Commission welcomed the authorities’ efforts to guarantee the right to demonstrate, recalling that freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are fundamental rights.
“In a candidate country firmly committed to the EU accession process and making important progress on its EU path, grievances should be handled through constructive dialogue and in a peaceful manner”, the European Commission stressed.
For his part, Edi Rama rejected calls for his resignation, arguing that the protests posed a greater threat to Albania’s European prospects than to his own government. Tirana has closed a fourth accession negotiation chapter, on enterprise and industrial policy (see EUROPE 13959/2). “Albanians need to think very clearly: Do they want this, do they want that, or do they want the EU?”, he said on Sunday in an address broadcast on social media. (Original version in French by Louis Dubar)