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Albania's civic awakening

2026-06-10 17:47:09Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA ELEZ BIBERAJ

A year after Prime Minister Edi Rama won a fourth consecutive term, Albania finds itself in a reality profoundly different from the triumphalist narrative he projected. The government that claimed unparalleled authority now faces the most sustained civic uprising in decades. What began as modest protests against foreign investment projects in Zvërnec and Sazan has morphed into a nationwide confrontation with a system that many Albanians see as unaccountable, exploitative, and fundamentally flawed.

The protests were sparked by concerns about the opaque terms of high-profile investments linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. But the demonstrations are not a referendum on the Trump family, nor a rejection of foreign capital. Albanians have long welcomed investments that respect the country’s laws, the environment, and the public interest. What they reject is the way these projects were pushed forward: without transparency, without consultation, and without respect for environmental or property rights. The protests are not anti-Trump or anti-American; they are against kleptocracy.

For years, Rama governed as if political competition were a nuisance rather than a democratic necessity. Power became increasingly centralized. Parliament functioned as a formality. Cabinet changes were announced theatrically, with ministers learning of their appointments during public speeches. The ruling party’s internal life was reduced to loyalty and conformity. The opposition, fragmented and demonized, was treated as a nuisance, not a counterweight.

This concentration of authority created the illusion of stability. But it also produced a fragile system – one that could function effectively only as long as citizens remained passive. The protests have shattered this assumption. They have exposed the limits of a model of governance built on control and corruption, rather than consent and accountability.

The controversy over the Zvërnec and Sazan projects brought to the surface deeper grievances. Albanians have seen for years how public tenders, infrastructure contracts and strategic assets have been given away to politically connected networks. High-profile corruption cases, such as the Balluku affair and the enrichment of ministers, senior officials and their families, have reinforced the perception of a ruling elite shielded from accountability. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens have faced stagnant wages, rising costs and declining public services. Nearly a million Albanians have emigrated in the past two decades, a staggering exodus that reflects both economic hardship and a loss of confidence in the country’s leadership. The protests are, in part, a response to this long-standing erosion of trust.

Rather than engaging with the protesters’ concerns, Rama has chosen a strategy of contempt and ridicule. He has portrayed the demonstrations as anti-investment or manipulated by foreign agents. He has mocked the protesters through spectacles – pelican jokes, staged mockery, and insinuations that they are misinformed or unpatriotic. He has revived the spectacle of mass rallies celebrating his party’s anniversary, evoking the performative mobilizations of the late communist era. This response reveals more than political defense. It reflects a style of governance accustomed to impunity and that finds it difficult to understand dissent as anything other than sabotage. It is a response that deepens, rather than resolves, the crisis of legitimacy.

What makes this civic uprising extraordinary is its composition. It is not orchestrated by a political party. It is not driven by a single ideology. It is a coalition of students, environmental activists, property owners, workers, retirees, and young professionals. Many of them had long been disengaged from politics, convinced that participation carried little weight. Now they are on the streets, united by the common conviction that Albania cannot continue on its current path. Their demands are clear and coherent: Rama’s resignation; a caretaker government to restore trust; the repeal of laws passed to accommodate investors without public consultation; accountability for corruption, including high-level cases; and a model of governance based on transparency and the rule of law.

These are not radical demands. They are the fundamental expectations of a democratic society.

For years, Albania’s political life has been characterized by surrender. Citizens have seen institutions weaken, corruption deepen, and public debate narrow. Many concluded that nothing could change. The protests have reversed this psychological trajectory. They have restored a sense of agency to a society that has long been told that power is immovable. Even without a single leader or formal structure, the movement has already accomplished something profound: it has broken the spell of invincibility that surrounded Rama’s rule.

Rama’s landslide victory in 2025 was intended to cement his dominance. Instead, it accelerated the overstepping of the boundaries of power, which has now provoked widespread resistance. His mandate, once presented as historic, increasingly resembles a Pyrrhic victory – one that brought short-term control at the cost of long-term legitimacy. Even if he survives the immediate crisis, the political landscape has changed irrevocably. The government can no longer rely on public apathy. The opposition, while still fragmented, is no longer the sole channel of dissent. Civil society, long marginalized, has returned to the national stage. And the younger generation, so often dismissed as disconnected, has shown itself willing to act.

At this moment, the international community also faces a choice: to remain a distant observer, or to take a principled stance in support of democratic norms, institutional integrity, and true accountability.

The protests have opened a door, but they have not yet defined the path forward. Albania needs more than catharsis. It needs a comprehensive strategy for democratic renewal: rebuilding institutions capable of resisting political pressure; restoring checks and balances; guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary; protecting media freedom; creating space for new political actors; and investing in education and opportunities so that young Albanians can see a future in their country.

These are long-term tasks, but they have now become part of the national conversation in a way they hadn't been for years.

Whether or not the protests bring about immediate political change is not the only measure of their significance. Albania has already crossed a threshold. A society that had become cynical has regained its voice. A government that believed itself invincible has been confronted with its limits. A nation that felt humiliated by corruption has regained its dignity.

This is a civic awakening, not a passing episode.

Albania has gone through difficult chapters and emerged stronger. It can do so again. The courage shown on the streets of Tirana is not simply a rejection of the present; it is an affirmation of the future. The protesters have reminded the country and the world that Albania’s democratic aspirations remain alive, enduring, and deeply rooted.

A people that regains its dignity no longer returns to silence. Albania has entered a new chapter, and its citizens are writing it with clarity, courage, and hope.


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