Tensions in Albania are not easing. The country has entered its fourth week of continuous mass protests.
What began as an environmental resistance to the construction of a luxury tourist complex by Jared Kushner's company has now transformed into a large-scale nationwide movement to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Chronicle of the Day: Arrests and Calls for Resistance
Current highlights of the situation in Tirana include:
New prosecutions: The Albanian State Police announced that 15 people have been prosecuted following last night's demonstrations in the capital for roadblocks and civil disobedience. The opposition enters the “bank“: The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, called on all Albanians to join the street marches, defining them as a “historical moment“ for the overthrow of the government. The government's position: Prime Minister Edi Rama categorically refuses to stop the investment project. He has called the protests part of a “hybrid war against Albania“, orchestrated by Iran through digital disinformation campaigns.
Why did the anger erupt?
The demonstrators are using pink flamingo figurines as a symbol of the endangered nature in the Narta Lagoon and Sazan Island. However, the protest quickly turned into a voice of frustration with low wages, lack of prospects and corruption.
Hundreds of empty shoes were lined up in front of the Council of Ministers building - a symbol of over 1.7 million Albanians have left their homeland in the last three decades. With slogans like „Albania is not for sale“, citizens express their anger that the average salary in the country is only 950 euros, while the government is giving away public land for resorts.
International response
The European Union has expressed serious concerns about compliance with environmental standards and the lack of transparency in contracts concluded through Dutch shell companies by Kushner's company Affinity Partners. The EU ambassador in Tirana reminded that Albania must bring its legislation into line with European norms if it wants to advance in membership negotiations.
Expected later this evening the streets of Tirana will once again be flooded with thousands of citizens.
According to information from BTA and international correspondents in Tirana