European capital rocked by violent protests as government corruption probe fuels unrest

Thousands of anti-government protesters violently faced disconnected against riot constabulary extracurricular authorities buildings successful Albania’s capital, Tirana, earlier this week, arsenic radical called for the resignation of the authorities pursuing a monolithic corruption scandal.

The main Albanian absorption enactment called for radical to instrumentality to the streets and request the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku aft she was indicted by a peculiar authoritative who alleged she had been improperly influenced successful her determination to favour 1 institution successful a tender for the operation of a 3.7-mile passageway successful confederate Albania.

Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime suspended Balluku from the authorities successful November, but Prime Minister Edi Rama took the contented to the country’s Constitutional Court, which reinstated Balluku successful December.

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Anti-government protests successful Albania’s superior Tirana escalated hostility connected Tuesday, Feb. 10, arsenic demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and different objects astatine the premier minister’s bureau connected Feb. 10, 2026. (Anadolu Agency via Reuters)

Balluku denied the allegations, calling the accusations against her amounted to "mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies." Rama has refused to disregard her.

The corruption allegations touched disconnected wide outrage, sparking protests successful caller months. 

"The question of fashionable protests successful Albania reflects a increasing societal backlash against what critics picture arsenic the progressively autocratic regularisation of Prime Minister Edi Rama," Agim Nesho, erstwhile Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital.

"Over much than a decennary successful power, Rama is accused of centralizing authorization and personalizing authorities institutions, portion his authorities has faced persistent allegations of practice with organized transgression and the misuse of nationalist funds and nationalist assets for the payment of politically connected clients," Nesho claimed.

Police officers clasp shields extracurricular the Prime Minister's bureau during an anti-government protest, triggered by a corruption probe into Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, successful Tirana, Albania, Feb. 10, 2026. (Florion Goga/Reuters)

The shady circumstances surrounding Rama’s astir important state and the deficiency of accountability reinforces the sentiment that is pervasive successful Albanian nine that their authorities is rife with corruption. With some the incumbent authorities and absorption figures accused of corruption, nationalist assurance successful institutions and the justness strategy has steadily been eroded.

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Albania has a agelong bequest of authorities corruption, and ranks 91st retired of 182 countries successful Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.

The protests connected Tuesday turned convulsive erstwhile supporters of Berisha’s absorption Democratic Party threw rocks and Molotov cocktails astatine authorities offices successful Tirana. Security forces responded with h2o cannons and teardrop gas.

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama (R) and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku (R) be a property league successful the Shpirag portion successful Berat province, Albania connected Aug. 23, 2023. (Albanian Prime Ministry / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Berisha claims the protests person been peaceful, and radical are lone voicing their absorption to Rama’s expanding autocratic regularisation and his attacks of the justness system.

At slightest 16 protesters were treated for injuries and 13 protesters were arrested, according to the Associated Press. 

Observers of the portion judge Berisha, who was premier curate from 2005 to 2013 and faced his ain corruption charges, is angling to topple the socialist premier curate and main governmental rival, Rama, and instrumentality to power.

The turmoil successful Albania comes arsenic the state has agelong sought European Union membership, which began successful 2014 erstwhile it became an authoritative campaigner for accession. While the 2025 yearly European Commission study stated that Albania made important strides successful judicial reforms and combating organized crime, the latest allegations against Rami’s authorities volition complicate its way to EU membership.

People stitchery during a objection held successful Tirana, the superior of Albania, successful enactment of erstwhile Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who was nether location apprehension from December 2023 to November 2024 connected corruption charges and is presently nether judicial supervision by the Albanian Special Appeal Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (GJPAKKO). (Olsi Shehu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The United States helped instrumentality Albania’s judicial betterment process, including the instauration of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK). The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) invested millions to foster antiauthoritarian advancement successful Albania and assisted successful combating Albania’s struggles with corruption and strengthening its anemic institutions.

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Ambassador Nesho warned the U.S. and European Union request to get superior with argumentation successful the Western Balkans and assistance determination Albania person to European integration.

"If Washington and Brussels proceed to look the different mode — failing to enforce the regularisation of law, reconstruct existent checks and balances, and chopped the regime’s ties to organized transgression and cause trafficking — Albania risks drifting into the orbit of Eastern-style autocracy," Nesho said.