5 publishers · first seen Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:45 UTC · updated Fri, 30 Oct 2026 06:54 UTC
Albania's parliament was disrupted by opposition Democratic Party lawmakers on Thursday, who set off smoke flares, blocked the podium and displayed photographs of injured protesters during a vote on central bank legislation. Four opposition MPs were expelled from the chamber as the ruling Socialist Party continued with the vote. The parliamentary chaos follows ongoing anti-government protests in Tirana, where demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing police of using excessive force. The protests, which began in May, were triggered by Rama's approval of a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and have since expanded to include grievances over economic stagnation, corruption and education costs. Rama, in office for 13 years, has refused to resign and introduced measures including higher student scholarships, subsidised rent for students and fines of more than $6,000 for attending violent protests.
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