At the height of tensions with protesting students, Edi Rama came forward with a new package of measures that, according to the government, is aimed at easing the costs of study and housing. Alongside promises of higher scholarships, easier loans and employment, the prime minister used harsh language toward some lecturers and those he calls instigators of boycott and violence.
What the government promised students
According to the announcement made by Rama, students from families facing economic hardship will benefit from an increase in scholarships to 25,000 new lek per month. According to him, this scheme will also be extended to master’s level students.
The package presented also includes housing measures, with co-financed rents and loans with zero or 3% interest, depending on criteria to be set by law. Rama also said the government aims to establish a formula that would require businesses to employ students with pay equal to half the minimum wage.
Invitation to dialogue, but with divisive tones toward the protest
The prime minister asked students to sit down for dialogue “wherever they want and whenever they want,” insisting that he is ready to discuss their demands and the changes they may propose for the university.
But alongside the invitation to talks, Rama accompanied the message with strong accusations against some protesters and lecturers. According to his version, a climate of pressure has been created on university premises and on social media to impose a boycott of classes and participation in protests.
He also warned of legal intervention in cases of boycott by lecturers, after consultations with the forum of rectors, presenting this as the distinction between lawful protest and imposing on those who want to continue classes.
The government defends the record of the University Pact
Rama also relied on the record of what he calls the University Pact, saying that 6 out of 10 students benefit from at least one form of direct support from the state. He listed as indicators scholarships for high-achieving students, scholarships for families in need, fee exemptions and partial coverage of tuition fees.
According to the figures he presented, 10,152 students are fully exempt from university fees, while another 27,050 have 50% of their fee paid by the government. Rama said three-quarters of public university funding is covered by the government.
For dormitories, he said that the fees paid by students cover less than one-third of the annual cost and that 100 million euros have been approved for further investment in this sector.
Protest in the crosshairs, economy used as a political argument
In a long part of his response, Rama linked the protest to economic damage, claiming that the blockades and incidents of recent weeks have hit business, tourism and the climate for investors. He presented these developments as costs that, according to him, fall on the economy and public revenues.
Likewise, the head of government tried to shift the debate from the students’ concrete demands to public order and stability. This approach places protest and economic interest against one another, while it remains to be seen how many of the announced promises will take legal and financial shape beyond political statements.
In addition to direct meetings, Rama also announced the opening of a “digital window” for dialogue with students. So far, however, at the center of the debate remain not only the new promises, but also their credibility in the face of a climate of mistrust among the government, universities and students.
In essence, the announced package seeks to present itself as a social response to dissatisfaction in universities, but it comes intertwined with a political offensive against the protest and critics in lecture halls.