Anger mounts as Albania’s political stand-off drags on

Demonstrations for the third week running in the Albanian capital Tirana passed off quietly – unlike in January when three people were killed and dozens injured. More than 100,000 people took to the streets in protest at the country’s 20 month-long political paralysis.

by Kate Holman
Friday, February 11th, 2011

The violence marked a ramping up of tension between Albania’s opposing forces – the ruling Democrats, led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, and Edi Rama’s Socialist Party. They have been locked in confrontation since contested elections in 2009 led to a Socialist boycott of Parliament. Mr Berisha accused the opposition of trying to stage a coup, and blocked the arrest of police accused of shooting demonstrators.

But Albania is not Tunisia or Egypt. The country has in theory been “free” for 20 years, and should be just a step away from becoming a member of a European Union which prides itself on democratic standards. Since December, Albanians have had visa-free access to most EU countries, although the violence has caused anxiety in Brussels.

Many Albanians have grown weary of the self-serving corruption of a ruling elite that has been in power since the collape of communism in 1991.

In an article in Le Monde, Albanian journalist Ernest Bunguri appealed to the EU to help sweep away the “iron curtain” of lies and corruption and “take the side of the Albanian people”.

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About The Author

Kate Holman writes for Tribune on European affairs
  • Illyria-Alb

    Sali Berisha is dictator. He has been a leader for 20 years and has stolen the last 2 elections from the Albanian people. He caused a civil war in 1997 and stole the savings of the Albanian people. Now, he personally ordered the Republican Guard to shoot at the protesters on the 21st January 2011 fearing they were trying to overthrow him, when in fact they were protesting peacefully. A democarcy in Albania? Think again. This is a fully fledged Kleptocracy with Berisha trying like every dictator to maintain it. Like Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak. The Albanian people have never wanted Sali Berisha as a leader but the U.S. and Europe have supported him all these years. It’s shameful.

  • Durresi – Albania

    U.S. and EU stop your support for the dictator Sali Berisha. How can these Western democracies support a prooven criminal that is Sali Berisha? It is beyond doubt now, that these countries want a disequilibrium in Albanian politics.

  • Skenderbeu – GKS

    Sali Berisha is a killer of his own people. He has oppressed, stolen and killed the people of Albania. What leader would do that to his own people? If he does not go soon, the suffering people of Albania will be forced to act and do the natural thing, end suppression. With unemployment at 38 per cent, un-official inflation at 8.9 per cent and with the highest budget deficit in Europe. All this with Albania being one of the poorest country in Europe, if not the poorest.