Killing of 20-Year-Old in Korçë/Balliu: Edi Rama Has Failed, Public Safety Has Turned into Chronic Insecurity and the Call to “Resign” Carries New Weight

Democratic Party MP Klevis Balliu has reacted sharply to the serious criminal incidents recorded across the country on Saturday, holding the government responsible for failing to guarantee public safety.

In his response, Balliu mentions the killing of a 20-year-old in the city of Korçë, the altercation that left people injured at Fier Prison, and the explosive blast in Durrës.

According to him, these three incidents, which occurred on the same day, demonstrate the severe deterioration of public order.

The Democratic MP says that citizens no longer feel protected either in public spaces or in security institutions, while crime, according to him, is neither being prevented nor tackled by the state.

Balliu places the political responsibility on Prime Minister Edi Rama, who, he says, after 13 years in power, has failed to fulfill the primary duty of every government: protecting citizens and ensuring their safety.

He once again draws attention to the Democratic Party’s repeated allegations about links between those in power and the criminal world, presenting the latest incidents as consequences of the weakening of the state.

Balliu also disputes the government’s narrative of Albania as a tourist destination, arguing that its propaganda and claimed successes do not match the reality Albanians face every day.

He also links the public-order situation to the protests that have continued for 70 days, saying that thousands of citizens have risen in protest, among other reasons, because of the lack of order and security.

According to Balliu, following Saturday’s crime reports, the call “Rama, resign!” sounds even more significant.

Full statement:

Yesterday, Albania once again began and ended the day under the weight of a series of crime reports.

On the same day, a 20-year-old was killed in the middle of the city of Korçë, an altercation left people injured at Fier Prison, and an explosive blast occurred in Durrës. These three serious incidents highlight an alarming reality: public safety in Albania has been surrendered and has turned into chronic insecurity.

Today, citizens do not feel protected on the streets, in cities, or even behind bars, inside high-security institutions. Meanwhile, crime is displaying a boldness it would not have if the state were truly functioning.

This is no longer about figures and statistics, but about the lives of Albanians.

After 13 years in government, Edi Rama has failed in a government’s most fundamental responsibility: guaranteeing the safety of its citizens.

The Democratic Party has repeatedly denounced the capture of the state by crime, as well as the serious links between those in power and the criminal world. The consequences of this situation are now visible every day on Albania’s streets.

When killings take place in city centers, violence penetrates even prisons, and explosives detonate in our cities, responsibility is not limited solely to the perpetrator of the crime. The problem also lies with a state that is unable to prevent, tackle, and punish crime.

Edi Rama may continue to promote Albania as a tourist destination and talk about propaganda and imaginary successes. However, Albanians know the truth: the country lacks neither cameras nor propaganda; it lacks the state.

Public order must not be held hostage by political interests or links to crime.

The country needs a state that confronts crime, not a government that coexists with it.

The political responsibility for this situation is clear: Edi Rama and his government have failed to guarantee the safety of Albanians.

The thousands of citizens who have been protesting for 70 days have taken to the streets, among other reasons, because of the lack of order and security. After Saturday’s bloody crime reports, their main call, “Rama, resign,” rings even truer.