Edi Rama accuses foreign actors of being behind protests in Albania

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused foreign actors on 16 October 2026 of being behind the recent wave of anti-government protests, saying their aim is to block Albania’s accession to the European Union. Rama made the assertions during remarks urging calm after several days of violent demonstrations.

Rama links unrest to external interference

Rama told citizens the demonstrations “have absolutely nothing to do” with difficult living conditions or legitimate demands to improve them, and instead blamed outside forces for provoking disorder. He warned that those forces seek to destabilize the country and derail its European path.

About the origin of the unrest he said: "All of this is the work of the same hand — a hand that has grabbed the Albanian opposition by the throat and which, on multiple occasions, has burned and destroyed Albania." He added that there are "foreign hands that do not want Albania to live in peace."

One day earlier Rama had accused the opposition for the protests, which in several instances turned violent. His latest comments repeat a narrative that external interference, rather than domestic grievances, is driving the clashes.

From Tuesday, protests by students and high-school pupils have been held in Tirana and other Albanian cities; on several occasions the demonstrations escalated into clashes with police. Demonstrators demand Rama’s resignation and express dissatisfaction with study conditions and high tuition fees.

Organizers and police reported that protesters set fires in Tirana yesterday, incidents that contributed to the tensions and prompted Rama’s appeal for calm and stability while reiterating his allegation of foreign meddling.

Photo: press material from the event