[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https://images.euronews.com/articles/stories/09/96/00/63/1200x675_cmsv2_0524bd96-0e92-5536-9d3b-921e6832d416-9960063.jpg”]

Neanderthal remains dating back 46,000 years identified in Abauntz cave, Navarra

Digital bank Revolut down in major worldwide outage

The easy way to keep track of days spent in the Schengen Area

Uzbekistan’s $12bn business drive gathers pace during Rubio visit
Albania’s PM Edi Rama blames ‘hybrid war’ for fuelling unrest across the country

Protesters throw fireworks and flares at riot police during an anti-government protest in Tirana, 19 October, 2026
– Copyright AP Photo
The anti-government protests in the Balkan nation began over a controversial resort development in an ecologically protected area linked to US President Donald Trump’s family.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed a “hybrid war” for fuelling unrest in his country on Tuesday, after a week of violent anti-government demonstrations in the capital Tirana.
Demonstrators have repeatedly clashed with police since Tuesday as months of protests escalate, driven by fresh demands for better university conditions, anger over corruption and renewed calls for Rama’s resignation.
During the demonstrations, which have drawn thousands, police have regularly used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds that have targeted government buildings and smashed stores in several parts of the capital.
Protesters have hurled stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at police.
Around 300 people have been injured in the clashes, more than half of them police, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, Rama repeated earlier accusations that “foreign actors” were to blame for the violence, previously accusing both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation.
“This has now been recognised and is becoming a major issue across Europe,” he said in a statement broadcast live while visiting the education ministry.
“It is a hybrid war that gains traction precisely because it is rooted in genuine grievances, not mere fantasy,” the prime minister added, citing the rising cost of living, housing affordability and concerns for the future.
He also hinted at a possible ban on social media for children under 16 and flagged changes to the age of criminal responsibility.
Since protests began, high school students have also attended protests alongside their university counterparts, with police and authorities regularly condemning the involvement of minors in violence.
On Tuesday morning, hundreds of university professors marched in solidarity with the demonstrators to condemn police violence targeting students, according to an AFP reporter.
Carrying a banner reading “Stop violence against students”, the marchers called for Rama to resign.
The week-long demonstrations have badly damaged several government buildings, including the education ministry, which remains a focal point.
The anti-government protests in the Balkan nation began over a controversial resort development in an ecologically protected area linked to US President Donald Trump’s family.
But anger over the development has morphed into a broader push against corruption amid ongoing demands that Rama step down.
Go to accessibility shortcuts
Read more
Albanian PM Rama accuses anti-government protesters of crossing ‘red line’ amid violent demonstrations
Albania’s PM refuses to quit with protests against university conditions in sixth day
Albanian police fire rubber bullets and arrest hundreds as anti-government protests enter fifth day

France to impose new curfews where ‘situation requires it’, PM says

Ryanair CEO calls Ursula von der Leyen ‘useless’

Russian Black Sea strikes deepen ‘perfect storm’ for food supplies

Trump envoy Witkoff to meet Zelenskyy in Oslo before planned Putin talks in Moscow

Germany’s far-right AfD party hit by mass email theft
Video: Priest dies after cross falls on him during Mass in Ecuador
‘Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres’: What does the student slogan mean?
Lavrov backs Iran after Trump says Russia doing ‘little’ for Tehran
Mother leaves children alone on Poland mountain trail for ‘whining’
Rubio focuses on trade routes and critical minerals in Central Asia
[analyse_source url=”https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/20/albanias-pm-edi-rama-blames-hybrid-war-for-fuelling-unrest-across-the-country”]

