Albania’s Rama rejects calls to resign as student protests continue

Student-led demonstrations continued in Tirana for a third day as education demands merged with a wider anti-government movement calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Thousands of students marched through the capital, while some protesters threw rocks at police lines outside the Education Ministry. Police responded with tear gas and water cannon and detained several people.

The Health Ministry said Wednesday’s unrest injured 89 people, including 61 police officers. Those figures are official and may be revised. The European Union delegation urged restraint and a proportionate response after damage to government buildings, banks and businesses.

Student groups are seeking university reforms, lower costs, more financial support and better employment prospects. They have joined the Flamingo movement, which opposes a luxury coastal development associated with an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner and alleges wider government corruption. Those political allegations remain contested.

Rama said he would not resign and accused opponents of encouraging violence. His Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive election last year, and the next parliamentary vote is scheduled for 2029. The immediate test is whether the government addresses the students’ concrete demands while authorities protect peaceful assembly and investigate violence individually.