Protests in Tirana/French media: Young people demand the prime minister’s resignation! Students have risen up and put the government under pressure

French media outlet La Releve et La Peste has devoted a lengthy article to the protests in Albania, analyzing the transformation of the movement known as the “pink flamingo revolution” from a revolt to protect the environment into a broad movement against corruption, inequality and Edi Rama’s government.

According to the article, everything began with opposition to a luxury tourism project on the island of Sazan and in the Vjosa-Narta area.

The protests later expanded, drawing in thousands of citizens and, since mid-October, a large number of university and high school students. The latter have raised concerns about tuition fees, conditions at universities, the healthcare system and the lack of employment opportunities.

The full La Releve et La Peste article:

“Edi Rama has turned this country into a dictatorship. Today we live in an oligarchy, where people close to him have become billionaires, while the public cannot even make ends meet.”

Born out of opposition to a luxury tourism project in protected natural areas, the “pink flamingo revolution” has gradually turned into a broader movement against corruption, inequality and the lack of prospects. Since mid-October, the mobilization has expanded with the mass participation of university and high school students in the protests. Although some gatherings have been accompanied by clashes, Prime Minister Edi Rama refuses to resign.

From an environmental revolt to a political uprising

It all began with the defense of a territory. In the spring of 2026, Albanian citizens mobilized against a luxury tourism project backed by Affinity Partners, the investment company of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, about which we reported in June.

With an estimated value of 1.4 billion euros, the project envisages the construction of a hotel complex on the island of Sazan, as well as residential and tourism developments along the Vjosa-Narta coastline. However, the area includes a vast wetland where pink flamingos, seals and sea turtles live, among other species.

In Zvërnec, residents also claim ownership of the land included in the luxury complex project. For Albanians, the project illustrates the disturbing proximity between political power and private interests.

Born on May 30, 2026, in Zvërnec, the “pink flamingo revolution” led several thousand people to protest in Tirana and other cities across the country, seeking to make their voices heard.

The “pink flamingos” are calling for the government’s resignation. They also want the repeal of a 2024 law allowing the construction of luxury tourism facilities in protected areas.

Pink flamingos unite the anger of young people

Mid-October marked another turning point, with the mass participation of university and high school students in the mobilization. On October 14, tens of thousands of young people protested in Tirana to denounce rising tuition fees, the conditions and costs of studying, shortcomings in the healthcare system and the limited employment opportunities available after graduation. Their participation gave the protest a new social and generational dimension.

For Ana, one of the young Albanian women who spoke to France Inter, the prime minister is primarily responsible for the crisis: “Edi Rama has turned this country into a dictatorship. Today we live in an oligarchy, where people close to him have become billionaires, while the public cannot even make ends meet.”

Distrust is also fueled by the case of Belinda Balluku, the former deputy prime minister and former infrastructure minister. On October 20, the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) formally brought several charges against her: corruption, money laundering and irregularities in the awarding of public contracts.

The allegations, which Balluku disputes, relate in particular to two construction contracts with a total value of more than 200 million euros. Albanians are calling for her imprisonment, turning the case into a symbol of corruption at the highest levels of the state.

Streets engulfed by the flames of anger as the government remains unshaken

While many gatherings take place peacefully, some marches have been accompanied by clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers. Testimonies and video footage point to police violence and disputed arrests.

On October 24, several civil society organizations, lawyers and citizens filed a complaint with the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, calling for more than 180 cases of unlawful actions to be examined.

The human toll bears witness to the violence of the clashes. To date, around 350 people are said to have been injured, including “200 police officers,” according to Albania’s interior minister, Ervin Demo. However, these figures may not reflect the full number of victims, as the count includes only people who received assistance at the identified healthcare institutions.

Edi Rama, for his part, categorically rules out the possibility of resigning. After ignoring their demands for 140 days, he has called on the students to engage in “dialogue,” which they no longer trust because of corruption. The prime minister accuses foreign actors of fomenting the unrest and portrays the protest as a threat to the country’s European ambitions.

To suppress the protests, he said he had been inspired by the French “casseurs-payeurs” bill—“rioters pay”—recently passed by the Senate. The Albanian government could now impose a fine of 6,000 dollars—six times the average monthly salary—on people present at a protest that descends into acts of violence, even if they themselves have done nothing. In France, the fine could reach 10,000 euros per person if the bill is approved by the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the opposition continues its actions. On October 29, lawmakers from Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party disrupted a parliamentary session by throwing smoke bombs. Two days later, thousands of people protested in Tirana, calling for Rama to step down.