Albanian prime minister reinstates dialogue chairs as protests enter ninth day

In a repeat of a previous stunt, Enti Rama set up chairs bearing the word “dialogue” outside his Tirana office, attempting to portray openness to talks with protesters. Demonstrators quickly turned the chairs upside down and later destroyed them, prompting Rama to issue a filmed statement warning that participants in violent acts will be held accountable both criminally and financially. The capital has seen an intensified police deployment following the previous day’s clashes, with water-cannon fire, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails exchanged between protesters and law enforcement, resulting in several arrests.

Images showed students hugging and dancing in front of water-cannon jets as police advanced. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, publicly denounced the violence and urged all sides to reduce tensions and engage in inclusive dialogue. Rama is also slated to travel to Montenegro for the Berlin Process leaders’ summit in Miločevo, attended by European leaders such as Friedrich Merz and Christian Stöger.