Alimehmeti: Students no longer trust Rama; he will do the opposite of what he says about resigning

Speaking on News24, National Council member Ilir Alimehmeti discussed the student protest that has been taking place in Tirana for several days. He described it as one of the biggest and most inspiring movements of recent years, saying it clearly expresses citizens’ desire for change. According to him, students are calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign, a technical government, and free and fair elections.

Alimehmeti said the young people’s response had taken both the public and politicians by surprise. He said students had shown they are not a passive generation, contrary to how they may have been perceived in the past.

Commenting on the prime minister’s reactions, he recalled that Rama had used various labels to describe the protesters, while now offering dialogue and communication through a digital platform.

“Apparently, there are still people who listen to Edi Rama. Personally, I stopped listening to him a long time ago,” Alimehmeti said on News24. He said Rama had heard citizens’ demands but had not given them the importance they deserved.

Alimehmeti argued that protesters are calling for the prime minister’s resignation, not further dialogue, because they do not trust him. He added that Rama’s latest proposals are intended to ease pressure on the government and avoid responsibility for problems that have accumulated over time.

During the interview, he also revisited the 2018 student protest, referring to promises to improve conditions at universities and build a campus.

“Do you remember the famous university campus? Where is the university campus? It has been eight years. Not even a single stone has been laid,” he said. According to Alimehmeti, many generations of students have graduated without seeing the promises fulfilled.

He said the government had also failed to meet its obligations under the University Pact. “The promises made under the University Pact are all lies, too. They haven’t been fulfilled,” Alimehmeti said, accusing Rama of acting differently from what he promises.

As examples of promises he said had not been kept, he cited water, prices, taxes and the fuel excise tax. “He said he would bring you water; there is no water. He said he would lower prices; he didn’t. He said he would lower taxes; he raises them. He said he would lower the fuel excise tax; he hasn’t lowered it in 13 years,” he said.

Commenting on the prime minister’s statement that he would not leave office, Alimehmeti said sarcastically: “He says he won’t resign. You can figure out for yourselves what the opposite is. He will resign.”

Alimehmeti also compared the political situation in Albania with developments in Serbia, where there have been protests against President Aleksandar Vučić. He also referred to Vučić’s statements about the Albanian prime minister, saying the Serbian president had advised Rama on how to deal with the protesters.

“The man who used to tell us, ‘You are foreign agents,’ takes advice from Vučić,” Alimehmeti said, criticizing the prime minister’s treatment of the protesters.

In his view, ongoing protests may not bring immediate change, but they put pressure on those in power and can weaken political support for the leaders.

Alimehmeti claimed that Rama and Vučić have similarities in the way they wield power. However, he drew a distinction, saying that the Albanian prime minister is willing to sacrifice the country’s interests to stay in power.

“Rama is willing to sell anything in this country for his own sake, to serve his own interests and move forward,” he said.

In closing, Alimehmeti predicted that pressure on Rama would increase and that continued protests could affect the future of his hold on power.