In her first reaction to the protests taking place in several cities across Albania, Kosovo Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu called on Albanian institutions to listen to the protesters’ demands and avoid an escalation of the situation.
Call to address protesters’ demands
Haxhiu said developments in Albania are worrying and that institutions have an obligation to deal with the demands being raised in the streets.
She mentioned Parliament, the Presidency and the Government as institutions that, according to her, should seriously address the students’ demands and the grievances that may have built up over the years.
Message against violence and criticism of institutional arrogance
In her statement, Haxhiu said she does not support violence, whether by the police against protesters or in the other direction.
She said the protests require a serious approach and restraint, while warning that arrogance in the face of public discontent only further fuels confrontation.
Distancing herself from calls to join the protests
Haxhiu, who is also a member of the Vetëvendosje Movement, denied that there had been any call from this political force to support the protests in Albania.
According to her, Vetëvendosje cannot be held responsible if its supporters take part in protests individually.
The statement comes at a time when the protests have opened debate not only over the demands raised on the ground, but also over how institutions and the police are responding to them.
Haxhiu’s position places the emphasis on listening to protesters and lowering tensions, instead of rhetoric that could deepen the confrontation.