Protest in Tirana Takes on International Dimensions: The 5 Demands Sent to Western Embassies

The civic movement that has for some time been keeping the wave of mass protests in Tirana alive has taken a new step, pushing its action beyond the country’s borders. The protest’s coordinating group has sent an official letter to the ambassadors and heads of mission of Western countries accredited to the Republic of Albania, listing five main demands directed at the government.

At the top of the protesters’ demands is the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the current cabinet, which activists consider a necessary and non-negotiable condition for the country’s democratic renewal. Immediately after that comes the call for the establishment of a transitional technocratic and non-partisan government, with a 12-month mandate, tasked with overseeing a credible and impartial reform process.

As the third point, the document calls for a broad constitutional reform based on the full equality of citizens before the law and to be approved through a popular referendum. According to the clarifications in the letter, this reform must also include changes to the Electoral Code and the law governing the financing of political parties and civil society organizations. At the same time, another debated demand is emphasized: limiting the Prime Minister’s term, so that no person is allowed to serve more than two terms, whether full or partial, throughout their entire political career.

As a fourth demand, the coordinating group calls for immediate intervention in the legislation. According to them, the amendments to the Law on Protected Areas and the Law on Cultural Heritage must be repealed. They also demand the full cancellation of the legislative package known as the “Mountains Package,” as well as the repeal of the current legal framework governing Strategic Investments.

The fifth and final demand sums up the protesters’ aim of building a new social contract between citizens and the state. This contract is requested to be drafted through broad consultations with independent intellectuals, technical experts and non-partisan representatives of civil society, in line with the movement’s proposals.

The letter, which marks an important development in this long resistance, bears the signatures of the 13 representatives of the coordinating group: Entela Koja, Arben Kola, Megan Balaj, Edviol Kulluri, Luçjana Kokaj, Gentjan Progni, Gjon Ndoj, Etleva Merko, Everest Bardhi, Përparim Gjeka, Mevlan Mata, Ilir Xhemalaj and Marjen Rama.