The demonstration, led by veteran opposition figure Sali Berisha and his Democratic Party, came after last week’s tumultuous events in Albania’s parliament, where police intervened to stop lawmakers from brawling and setting off flares in the chamber.
“We do not endorse any violence — especially when it’s enacted by those in authority. The most flagrant form of violence is the extortion and ongoing looting by Edi Rama and his ministers against the Albanian people,” Berisha conveyed to POLITICO on Tuesday through his spokesperson, explaining that the protests aim to “halt this violence.”
Prosecutors and opposition members are working to revoke Balluku’s immunity to enable anti-corruption prosecutors to arrest and prosecute her. Rama and his ruling Socialist Party have delayed the vote, intending to wait for a Constitutional Court decision expected in January.
Balluku, along with several other officials and private companies, is accused of rigging public tenders to benefit specific businesses on major infrastructure endeavors, such as Tirana’s Greater Ring Road and the Llogara Tunnel.
She has described the accusations against her as “insinuations,” “half-truths,” and “lies,” committing to cooperate fully with the judicial process. Balluku also serves as the minister of infrastructure, overseeing some of the nation’s largest public projects.
Rama has defended Balluku amidst the corruption allegations, criticizing the anti-corruption body, SPAK, for normalizing pre-trial arrests, arguing they constitute “arrests without trial” and lack alignment with European democratic values.
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