Edi Rama Refuses to Resign Amid Violent Student Riots

Prime Minister Edi Rama refused to resign on October 15, 2026, following three days of violent student-led protests in Tirana and other cities including Elbasan, Shkodra, and Korçë. The unrest, which merged student grievances over high tuition and poor university conditions with the anti-corruption 'Flamingo Revolution,' targeted the ministries of Education, Justice, and Finance, as well as the prime minister's office and several bank branches. Protesters used Molotov cocktails and bricks to attack state institutions, while riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons.

Casualty reports evolved as the violence escalated. Initial reports cited 23 detentions and seven injuries, but final figures from the Ministry of Health indicated 89 total injuries, including 61 police officers. Law enforcement reported up to 65 arrests and nearly 100 charges. The government suspended four officers and a commissariat chief following the injury of a 19-year-old student.

Rama accused political opponents and foreign actors of orchestrating the chaos to derail Albania's bid for European Union membership by 2028, stating that "governments are changed through democratic elections" rather than revolutions. The Democratic Party backed the protests and called for a caretaker government. The European Union expressed concern over the escalation and called for a proportionate police response and prompt investigations into allegations of excessive force.