TIRANA – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters agency that he would not resign over student-led protests that entered a third consecutive day.
The article stresses that police used water cannon to disperse protesters who smashed windows and damaged property in the capital, prompting parliament to cancel its session.
Students protesting at rising education costs and corruption have called for Rama’s resignation.
“As for calls for my resignation, governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution”, Rama said in written responses to Reuters questions.
He claimed that his responsibility is “to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward”.
“The alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership”, Rama stressed.
The article reminds that the current protests mark the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who won a fourth term last year, with EU membership at the centre of his campaign.
Rama claimed he would be ready to discuss the rising cost of education, but added that “attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety have nothing to do with the legitimate demands of students”.
For a reminder, clashes erupted between student protesters and police outside Albania’s Education Ministry on Tuesday, as demonstration over university conditions and social inequality turned violent.
Some protesters threw bricks and concrete blocks at the ministry building, while police responded with tear gas and water cannon.
Several protesters were detained, while footage showing police using force against demonstrators circulated on social media.
Student organisers said their demands concerned conditions at universities, tuition fees, financial support and employment prospects after graduation. Some participants also voiced frustration with social inequality and the government’s policies.
