Albanian Prime Minister Rama warns protests threaten country's EU accession bid

Prime Minister Edi Rama told viewers on Facebook that the persistent mass protests across Albania jeopardize the country's ambition to join the European Union and he firmly rejected calls for his resignation. He also cancelled a scheduled meeting with German Chancellor Christian Stocker, noting no separate press conference was planned. Rama framed the unrest as a challenge to Albania's overall mission, not a personal attack on his administration.

The demonstrations, led by students protesting corruption, high unemployment and poor education standards, have expanded to multiple cities, with some protesters setting fire to government buildings and hurling paving stones at police, who responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Demonstrators demand Rama's resignation, while the government blames unspecified foreign interests, referencing a controversial Adriatic-coast real-estate project linked to Jared Kushner.

Authorities have filed charges against 388 participants, and dozens of police officers and protesters have been injured. The turmoil, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," threatens Albania's status as a leading Balkan candidate for EU membership by 2030.