Editorial- In the five mass protests in Tirana, one thing has been clear in the streets and squares, in the banners and in the calls of the citizens, anger towards the government and the way power is being exercised in the country by Prime Minister Edi Rama and his people.
Strong messages against the government, arrogance and lack of dialogue with citizens were heard in front of the Prime Minister’s Office for 5 days in a row. Protesters have expressed dissatisfaction with decisions they see as harmful and with a system that, they say, no longer listens to ordinary people.
Today, Albanians are robbed of their property by the “strong” or people close to power. Corruption has reached alarming levels, while the abuse of power is trying to return to normality, as long as justice is prevented from doing its job. This kills the hope and future of citizens. Albanians are forced to leave.
In this sense, the protests have had a clear axis, criticism of the government and demand for political change.
However, an attempt to shift the focus has spread in the public discourse, interpreting the protests as a stand against the Americans. But this does not match the reality of the messages given by the protesters themselves.
American flags were also seen raised alongside the Albanian national flag at the gatherings, a detail that, on the contrary, shows a pro-Western symbolism and not a rejection of the strategic alliance of Albania and Albanians with the USA.
Basically, the protests are not read as a clash with international partners, but as an explosion of internal anger for reasons that are already known and readable on every banner.
The anger is directed towards Prime Minister Edi Rama and the way of governance, reflecting an accumulated dissatisfaction with misgovernance over the years, poverty and lack of accountability.
In this sense, the square has spoken about Albania and the internal problems that, instead of getting a solution a long time ago, are getting worse. Misgovernance and its effects worsen, institutional illegality deepens, while citizens lose jobs, living costs increase and the inability to live a normal life in 2026 is impossible./News24
