by Elez Biberaj
Tirana Times, June 09, 2026 – One year after Prime Minister Edi Rama swept to a fourth consecutive term, Albania finds itself in a profoundly different place than the triumphant narrative he projected. The government that claimed unrivaled authority now faces the most sustained civic uprising in decades. What began as modest demonstrations over foreign investment projects in Zvërnec and Sazan has grown into a nationwide reckoning with a system many Albanians see as unaccountable, extractive, and fundamentally exhausted.
The protests were triggered by concerns over the opaque terms of high‑profile investments linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. But the demonstrations are not a referendum on the Trump family, nor a rejection of foreign capital. Albanians have long welcomed investment that respects the country’s laws, environment, and public interest. What they reject is the way these projects were pushed through: without transparency, without consultation, and without regard for environmental or property rights. The protests are not anti-Trump or anti‑American; they are anti‑kleptocracy.
For years, Rama governed as if political competition were an inconvenience rather than a democratic necessity. Power became increasingly centralized. Parliament functioned as a formality. Cabinet reshuffles were announced theatrically, with ministers learning of their appointments during public speeches. The ruling party’s internal life narrowed to loyalty and conformity. The opposition, fragmented and demonized, was treated as a nuisance rather than a counterweight.
This concentration of authority created the illusion of stability. But it also produced a brittle system – one that could operate efficiently only as long as citizens remained passive. The protests have shattered that assumption. They have exposed the limits of a governing model built on control and corruption rather than consent and accountability.
The controversy over the Zvërnec and Sazan projects exposed deeper frustrations. Albanians have watched for years as public tenders, infrastructure contracts, and strategic assets were steered toward politically connected networks. High‑profile corruption cases, such as the Balluku affair and the enrichment of ministers, senior officials and their families, reinforced the perception of a governing elite insulated from accountability. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens faced stagnant wages, rising costs, and declining public services. Nearly one million Albanians have emigrated in the past two decades, a staggering outflow that reflects both economic hardship and a loss of faith in the country’s direction. The protests are, in part, a response to this long‑accumulated erosion of trust.
Rather than engage with the protesters’ concerns, Rama has chosen a strategy of dismissal and derision. He has portrayed the demonstrations as anti‑investment or manipulated by foreign agents. He has mocked protesters with theatrics – pelican jokes, staged ridicule, and insinuations that they are misinformed or unpatriotic. He has revived the spectacle of mass rallies celebrating his party’s anniversary, echoing the performative mobilizations of the late communist era. This reaction reveals more than political defensiveness. It reflects a governing style that has grown accustomed to impunity and struggles to comprehend dissent as anything other than sabotage. It is a response that deepens, rather than resolves, the crisis of legitimacy.
What makes this civic uprising remarkable is its composition. It is not orchestrated by a political party. It is not driven by a single ideology. It is a coalition of students, environmental activists, property owners, workers, pensioners, and young professionals. Many had long disengaged from politics, convinced that participation carried little weight. Now they are in the streets, united by a shared conviction that Albania cannot continue on its current path. Their demands are clear and coherent: Rama’s resignation; a technical government to restore trust; reversal of laws adopted to accommodate investors without public consultation; accountability for corruption, including high‑level cases; and a governing model grounded in transparency and rule of law.
These are not radical demands. They are the basic expectations of a democratic society.
For years, Albania’s political life has been marked by resignation. Citizens watched institutions weaken, corruption deepen, and public debate narrow. Many concluded that nothing could change. The protests have reversed that psychological trajectory. They have restored a sense of agency to a society long told that power is immovable. Even without a single leader or formal structure, the movement has already achieved something profound: it has broken the spell of invincibility that surrounded Rama’s rule.
Rama’s landslide in 2025 was meant to cement his dominance. Instead, it accelerated the overreach that has now provoked widespread resistance. His mandate, once portrayed as historic, increasingly resembles a Pyrrhic victory – one that delivered short‑term control at the cost of long‑term legitimacy. Even if he survives the immediate crisis, the political landscape has changed irreversibly. The government can no longer rely on public apathy. The opposition, though still fragmented, is no longer the only channel for dissent. Civil society, long marginalized, has reentered the national stage. And the younger generation, so often dismissed as disengaged, has shown that it is willing to act.
At this juncture, the international community also faces a choice: whether to remain a distant observer or to take a principled stand in support of democratic norms, institutional integrity, and genuine accountability.
The protests have opened a door, but they have not yet defined the path forward. Albania needs more than catharsis. It needs a comprehensive strategy for democratic renewal: rebuilding institutions capable of resisting political pressure; restoring checks and balances; ensuring judicial independence; protecting media freedom; creating space for new political actors; and investing in education and opportunity so young Albanians see a future at home.
These are long‑term tasks, but they are now part of the national conversation in a way they have not been for years.
Whether the protests force immediate political change is not the only measure of their significance. Albania has already crossed a threshold. A society that had grown cynical has rediscovered its voice. A government that believed itself invincible has been confronted with its limits. A nation that felt humiliated by corruption has reclaimed its dignity.
This is a civic awakening, not a passing episode.
Albania has endured difficult chapters and emerged stronger. It can do so again. The courage displayed in the streets of Tirana is not merely a rejection of the present; it is an affirmation of the future. The protesters have reminded the country and the world that Albania’s democratic aspirations remain alive, resilient, and deeply rooted.
A people who rediscover their dignity do not return to silence. Albania has entered a new chapter, and its citizens are writing it with clarity, courage, and hope.
* Elez Biberaj holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University and retired from the Voice of America in December 2023 after a 43‑year career.
