Unrest in Albania fuels concerns over possible escalation: What stance should Kosovo take?

On Friday, protests against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama continued in Albania, as university and high school students took to the streets for the fourth consecutive day, demanding political change and the resignation of the head of government.

The demonstrations, which have gathered considerable momentum in recent days, have been marked by tensions and clashes between protesters and police. In the heart of the capital, the crowds focused their attention on several key state institutions, including the Prime Minister’s Office, parliament and Tirana City Hall.

Public and private property has also been damaged during the protests. The situation escalated particularly near the Prime Minister’s Office, where a kiosk caught fire, while police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Demonstrators also tried to approach the headquarters of the Socialist Party, but police prevented them from continuing their march in that direction.

Despite mounting pressure from protesters, Prime Minister Edi Rama has said he has no intention of resigning. In his view, any change of government and transfer of power must take place through democratic elections.

This position has further widened the divide between the government and demonstrators, who oppose the executive’s policies and are demanding the prime minister’s departure before the end of his term.

The participation of university and high school students has given the protests new momentum, broadening their base and increasing pressure on institutions. Alongside Tirana, rallies and solidarity demonstrations have also been held in other cities, including Durrës, Shkodra and Korça.

Recent developments in Albania have also drawn interest in Kosovo, raising the question of what role it should play in this situation.

How should Kosovo respond?

Publicist Fadil Lepaja believes Kosovo should focus on its own affairs, monitor the situation and intervene only if Albania faces an external threat.

He says Kosovo’s government should give the Albanian government room to reach compromises with the protesters.

“I think an intervention by Kosovo would not be welcomed by the citizens of Albania, and it would lead to civil war there. Kosovo should focus on its own work and, in cooperation with international stakeholders, follow developments and get involved only if Albania is threatened from outside. Kosovo’s diplomacy should strengthen relations with its neighbors, particularly North Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as with the Albanian community there, to prevent any attempt to let this fire spread across the region. It is unclear what the protests in Albania and Serbia are seeking and who is behind them, so the Albanian government, like Kosovo’s government, should be left to reach its own compromises with the protesters and release the negative energy,” Lepaja told “Bota sot.”

Lepaja says the Albanian government could reach a compromise with citizens, but that it would need to open a public forum to discuss the key issues.

“I think the Albanian government can reach a compromise with citizens if it halts problematic projects and works to articulate a structure and policy for the protesters. A public forum should be opened to discuss the main issues raised by students, namely, that new elections be announced for 2027. As a NATO member, Albania must not play the national-unification card at this stage, but should be a constructive member of the alliance and restore institutional cooperation with Kosovo. Albania, like Serbia, must also take care not to damage the European process or play with borders in this area, which has a high potential for renewed conflict,” the publicist said.

According to Lepaja, the protesters’ demands are entirely legitimate, and Rama should be careful not to promote ideas of turning Albania into a “paradise” without Albanians.

In his view, ideas and projects should be discussed with young people, and decisions made together with them.

“Edi Rama should also refrain from the unnecessary use of force and show patience with peaceful protesters. The protesters’ demands are entirely legitimate, and Edi Rama should take care not to promote ideas of making Albania a ‘paradise’ without Albanians. The pace should be set by the people. If the population leaves the country, what use are billion-dollar investments? So I think these ideas and projects should not only be discussed with young people, but decisions should also be made together with them, since ultimately they will inherit them,” Lepaja told “Bota sot.”

“Protests in Albania have crossed the line into vandalism; Kosovo must not become part of destabilizing scenarios”

Meanwhile, Albanian analyst Ilir Vata says the protests have moved beyond political discontent into a more serious phase characterized by violence and vandalism.

He says the protests were driven by significant concerns related to the functioning of the state, a lack of meritocracy, problems with the electoral system and economic hardship, but that the escalation of violence risks undermining public safety and the country’s stability.

Vata stressed that Albanian institutions must show responsibility and the ability to manage the situation while respecting citizens’ right to protest. He said the violence in recent days has reached troubling levels, including attacks on institutions and businesses.

Speaking about relations between Kosovo and Albania, the analyst rejected claims that Prime Minister Albin Kurti or Kosovo’s citizens could have a role in destabilizing the situation in Albania. On the contrary, he argued that the stability of the two countries is closely linked and that destabilizing one would have consequences for the other.

“I don’t think Kosovo has anything to do with this. I don’t believe we can be blamed now, neither the people nor the states. I’ve heard other politicians trying to shift the blame onto others—not the Israelis, not the Russians, not the Chinese, not Kosovo, not Albin Kurti. This is an understandable upheaval. Old politics, new issues. Young people have risen up. Of course, they can be used, but I don’t think Kosovo is part of a chain seeking to destabilize Albania, because destabilizing Albania also means destabilizing Kosovo,” Vata told “Bota sot.”

In his analysis of developments in Tirana, Vata distinguished between the grievances that sparked the protests and the way they have unfolded in recent days. He said the protests have passed through several phases, beginning with the discontent of certain groups, then becoming intertwined with politics and taking on a broader dimension with the involvement of students.

He said the lack of clear leadership and distrust of political actors have created room for different interpretations of who is behind the movement and what its aims are.

Vata said that in the first days of the protests he condemned police violence against young people, calling it provocative. However, he said, the situation changed significantly as the violence escalated and, in his assessment, went beyond the bounds of an ordinary protest.

“In the first days, I condemned police violence against young people, not only as an investigative journalist but also as chairman of the Democrats Party, because it was provocative. And on the second day—that is, yesterday—widespread, massive violence began, violence that went beyond all bounds. Even in ’98, when the Democratic Party was in power, when the Socialist Party was in power and the Democratic Party rebelled, there was no violence on this scale, with students, citizens or various protesters and demonstrators attacking not only the main institutions but also businesses,” he said.

According to the analyst, the escalation has created a climate of insecurity, and state institutions must demonstrate that they can exercise their authority without violating citizens’ fundamental rights.

“I would suggest that the state act like a state, demonstrate its capabilities, respect citizens’ rights and exercise its authority while safeguarding the lives of citizens as a whole, as well as those of institutions and protesters,” Vata said.

He also raised the possibility of emergency measures, arguing that the situation must be taken seriously by the responsible institutions.

“The protests in Albania have gone beyond vandalism and descended into thuggery, to the point that they are causing fear in Tirana and citizens must mobilize. I think the Albanian state should seriously consider convening the National Security Council and declaring a state of emergency, which could also involve the army,” he said.

Vata also rejected interpretations linking Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to the protests or to efforts to destabilize Albania. He recalled that Kosovo had gone through a lengthy period of political uncertainty, accompanied by repeated elections, and had recently managed to resolve the question of the president.

In his view, political differences and personal opinions about Kurti should not turn into accusations against Kosovo or attempts to portray it as part of a plot against Albania.

“Albin Kurti is the prime minister of the government of the Albanians in Kosovo. After roughly two years of prolonged chaos, with election after election, Albin Kurti succeeded. He elected the president, a well-received, positive president, and Kosovo managed to resolve its conflict with the international community. I don’t think Kosovo—or Albin Kurti personally, regardless of my views or those of others who consider his views misguided—is against the ideal or against Albania,” Vata told “Bota sot.”

He stressed that Kosovo’s citizens should not take part in actions that would harm institutions, businesses or public safety in Albania, as such behavior would run counter to the shared national interest.

“Absolutely, Kosovars have no reason to become Prometheus and set the nation’s capital, Tirana, on fire. Kosovars should support the rights of Albanians. As for that, we’ll see. But they cannot be part of a scenario that harms Albania, at the heart of the nation, which is Tirana. And I certainly don’t think a Kosovar would go out and burn a bank or a business in Albania,” he said.

Vata warned that developments in Albania should also be closely monitored by Kosovo’s institutions, since, he said, the effects of possible destabilization would not be confined to Albanian territory.

“Kosovo, too, should be alert in this regard—the prime minister, Albin Kurti, and the president of Kosovo—because I think this could run deeper. It could be destabilization at the heart of our nation, designed to create other options that our ill-wishers, the Serbs and our neighbors, might have,” the analyst said.

However, he did not portray Kosovo as part of this threat. Instead, he insisted that cooperation between the two countries is essential to maintaining stability and advancing Albanians’ interests internationally.

Turning to the causes of discontent in Albania, Vata said the protests were necessary because a range of political, institutional and economic problems had remained unresolved.

He cited the lack of meritocracy, issues related to the electoral code, territorial agreements, electoral reform, and problems with wages and prices. In his view, these issues require serious attention and the involvement of political actors, including the opposition.

“As for how these protests will affect the international arena and Albanians at home and abroad, including all the young Albanians in the diaspora, the protests were necessary. They were very necessary, because the state had, in a way, gone off the rails, as we say. Many things weren’t working. Meritocracy had been killed; the electoral code was predetermined, as was the law on pre-election coalitions; territorial agreements were made without the parties’ cooperation,” he said.

The analyst voiced concern that electoral reform without the opposition’s involvement could negatively affect the functioning of democracy and the role of political parties. At the same time, he stressed that political discontent cannot be separated from the economic difficulties citizens face.

According to him, Albania has problems with its market, prices and wages, and citizens expect institutions to offer concrete solutions. For this reason, he sees the protests as an expression of broader discontent that should not be reduced to a conflict between the governing party and the opposition.

Vata also warned that domestic tensions could affect international perceptions of Albania and the region at a time when the Balkans remains exposed to rivalries and external influence.

At the end of his remarks, Vata stressed that Kosovo and Albania should be viewed as two states with interconnected national, political and strategic interests. He said cooperation between them matters not only for Albanians living in the two countries, but also for those in the diaspora and for the overall stability of the Balkans.

He recalled the difficult past of both countries, noting that Albania emerged from dictatorship while Kosovo endured a long period of oppression and war. For that reason, he said, the region needs no new conflicts, but rather democratic institutions, political responsibility and cooperation with Western allies.

“What I want to say is that Kosovo and Albania should be seen as two actors—as a national entity that shapes its own circumstances and national existence, upholds the values of Albanians at home and abroad, and guarantees stability in the region. The Balkan region is always seen as a powder keg. Clashes between the Western world and major global influences could turn it into a flashpoint, as happened in Ukraine, stirring up all of Europe and drawing the world into an unfinished conflict. The Balkans needs no more conflicts,” Vata said.

He added that responsibility for resolving the situation lies with Albanian institutions and political parties, which must find a political way forward without infringing on citizens’ right to protest.

In his view, confronting the problems of the past requires political and institutional decisions, while violence must not become a means of resolving disagreements.

“Politics in Albania has no enemies. The only enemy of Albanian politics is old politics. It is being challenged on the ground, strongly, and state institutions must have the courage to handle this situation carefully, without infringing on protesters’ rights. Ultimately, they must also have the courage to resign or find a political mechanism. Political parties must come together and find a mechanism: how do we save Albania from the past, from what is wrong?” Ilir Vata concluded in his remarks to “Bota sot.”

Protests against the Albanian government are not an isolated development limited to these four days. Demonstrations have continued for more than four months, with citizens taking part to oppose the government and demand political accountability.

The growing involvement of young people and the spread of protests beyond Tirana have increased pressure on Rama’s government.