Prime Minister Edi Rama held a meeting with bank executives at the Bank of Albania building, in a tense climate after reported damage to several bank branches in Tirana. For its part, the government is presenting the events as part of an organized scenario of violence, while Rama himself linked the episodes to attempts to create insecurity and disrupt the normal functioning of the city.
The meeting at the Bank of Albania amid tensions after the protests
The meeting took place at a time when several bank branches in the capital have been affected by acts of vandalism during violent protests, raising concern about the normal continuation of operations.
In public remarks, Rama presented the situation as a moment that, according to him, has exerted strong pressure on citizens and created the impression of a broader escalation of violence in the country.
Strong accusations from Rama over organization and external influence
The prime minister said that, according to his version, this is a case of “orchestrated violence,” linked to internal and external elements. He also mentioned an organization he described as neo-communist, ANTIFA, as one of the possible components of this violence.
Along the same lines, Rama spoke of radicalized individuals, elements of petty crime, and sponsorship by organized crime and political entities, adding that they are backed by foreign forces that, according to him, aim to destabilize Albania and Europe.
At this stage, no concrete evidence for these claims was publicly presented during the statement made at the meeting.
An effort to separate peaceful protesters from violence
Rama said that students and the part of society protesting to demand accountability should not be confused with the perpetrators of violence. According to him, that group is neither instigating nor supporting the acts of vandalism.
At the same time, he also criticized what he described as a public echo of the violence, mentioning a small number of lecturers and debates on television where, according to him, the state as a whole is being attacked through attacks on the police as an institution.
The comparison with 1997 and the message to the banking system
Part of Rama’s statement focused on the comparison with 1997, which he rejected as a valid parallel to the current situation. He said that even during that dramatic period the Bank of Albania was not attacked, whereas now, according to him, stones have been used to smash the building’s windows.
In the meeting with bankers, Rama sought to send a message of reassurance to the banking network, describing banks as guarantors of citizens’ savings. The government, according to him, must respond to the situation with patience and institutional calm.
The government links the crisis to the student housing package
In the same appearance, Rama moved from the tensions over the protests to a measure the government says it has sent to Parliament: the draft law on affordable social housing.
According to the prime minister, the initiative aims to address students’ problems in the face of rising prices, providing for the state to cover 50% of rent for students who meet the established criteria. It remains to be seen how this scheme will be implemented and how much it will actually affect the costs that have fueled discontent.
The meeting at the Bank of Albania comes at a time when the government is trying to control the narrative around the protests, presenting the violent acts as organized and as having a destabilizing background.
On the other hand, it remains essential that claims of this weight be accompanied by transparency and evidence, especially when public security, protest, and trust in institutions are at the center of the debate.