TIRANA — Thursday’s session in Albania’s Parliament ended amid flames of tension and total chaos, not only inside the plenary hall but also outside the institution’s doors, where the situation degenerated into physical clashes between protesters and law enforcement forces.
The end of parliamentary proceedings was accompanied by an open revolt from dozens of citizens gathered in the square, who surrounded the vehicles of Socialist MPs. Angered by the latest political developments, the protesters greeted the officials with chants, insults, and a barrage of eggs and water bottles, sending them off with the clear message: “Happy holidays, MPs!”
The police response was immediate after these acts. Law enforcement officers intervened forcefully, using rubber batons and tear gas to disperse the angry crowd in the center of the capital, leaving behind stark scenes of clashes and several people injured by the intervention of the security forces.
This situation comes after an extremely tense session inside Parliament, where the opposition blocked the podium after the rejection of the request on Territorial Reform, while other incidents were also recorded, including the confrontation in which Gazment Bardhi threw water toward Prime Minister Edi Rama, as a result of which he was expelled from the session. All these developments once again demonstrate the fraught political climate and the deep public dissatisfaction that has taken over the streets of Tirana.