Albania's Leader Defies Calls to Resign as Student Protests Erupt in Tirana

Student-led protesters smashed windows and clashed with riot police firing water cannon and tear gas in Tirana , as Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected calls to resign.

The demonstrators are angry about corruption, the cost and quality of education, and a deal to sell off parts of Albania's pristine southern coastline for a luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. They have joined a broader anti-government campaign known as the Flamingo Movement.

The unrest marks the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who won a fourth term last year with E.U. membership at the center of his campaign. Parliament canceled its session as violence flared nearby.

In a statement to Reuters, Rama refused to step down. "My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward," he said. "The alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership."

Protesters say their concerns went unheard during a summer of largely peaceful demonstrations over the resort project. "Our prime minister is the meaning of the word corruption," said a student who gave her name as Kiara. "You can only find work in your field if you know a guy who knows a guy."

Tirana's streets were left littered with burned-out garbage bins, shattered bus stops and broken traffic lights. In Skanderbeg Square, police struck fleeing protesters with batons as tourists looked on.

"This government is corrupted, led and governed by a corrupt prime minister," said Lulzim Tanushi, a lawyer. "Since Rama came to power he has abused and ruined people's lives, and that is why people are showing their anger—when they were not heard before."

Rama's government denies corruption and says it is ready to discuss the rising cost of education. But he condemned the violence: "Attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety have nothing to do with the legitimate demands of students."

The protests follow months of mostly peaceful demonstrations sparked by the resort plans, which have faced legal challenges. Villagers told Reuters in July that their land was wrongfully sold for development. Reuters later reported that the man who sold the land was wanted by prosecutors for drug trafficking.

Albania, which along with Montenegro is leading the Balkan accession process and aims to join the E.U. by 2028, has seen its image tarnished by corruption scandals. Analysts describe the country as a hub for gangs laundering money from drugs and weapons trafficking, complicating its E.U. bid.

"Corruption must be confronted and, as the E.U. itself has recently reaffirmed, Albania is tackling it as never before," Rama told Reuters. "Perhaps some forces, at home and abroad, do not want Albania to succeed as a forerunner for E.U. membership. But I will not allow violence to derail Albania's European future."

The unrest is part of a wave of student activism across Europe. In France, high school students have staged weeks of protests and school blockades demanding more teachers and better facilities, arguing that deteriorating buildings and overcrowded classrooms are undermining education.