Albania's Parliament Passes Controversial Municipal Reform Amid Street Protests

In a tense session lasting more than 12 hours, Albania's parliament enacted a territorial reform that restructures the country's 61 municipalities, a change the government claims aligns with current demographic and economic conditions. Opposition Democratic Party MPs and dissenting Socialists protested, with MP Gazment Bardhi tossing water bottles at Prime Minister Edi Rama during the vote. Outside the chamber, demonstrators gathered, leading to clashes with police and the arrest of eight participants.

Rama urged Socialist members to either back the bill or leave the party, and with support from the Social Democratic Party, the motion secured 85 votes, just above the 84-vote requirement. Critics warn the reform will increase centralisation and further isolate rural communities, potentially accelerating depopulation. Rama described the outcome as a "modernising push" for Albania.