Tirana – Prime Minister Edi Rama has continued his attacks on protesting students, labeling them as part of radicalized groups and claiming that anarchist movements, organized crime, and foreign forces are behind the demonstrations. Instead of addressing the direct demands of the youth, the head of government has chosen to portray the protests as part of an orchestrated scheme to destabilize Albania.
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Harsh Rhetoric and Comparisons to the Middle Ages
Speaking during a meeting with leaders of the banking system, the Prime Minister used sharp language, characterizing the student movement as violence fueled by the neo-communist anarchist network ANTIFA and radicalized segments of the youth.
To strip the protest of its legitimacy, Rama compared the young protesters' calls to rhetoric from the Middle Ages and the post-war era. Through this framing, he attempted to present the demonstrators not as citizens with genuine social and economic grievances, but as tools serving external political and destabilizing interests.
Accusations Against Supportive Lecturers
University lecturers who expressed solidarity with the students also targeted the Prime Minister's criticism. Rama accused them of amplifying violence across media screens. By doing so, the Prime Minister intentionally equated academic support for the right to protest with the endorsement of violent acts, overlooking the fact that solidarity with student demands does not imply support for violence.
Artificial Division of Protesters
In concluding his remarks, Rama attempted to draw an artificial line between what he termed "violent elements" and ordinary students or broader society. Through this narrative aimed at distancing the current protesters from everyday students seeking change, the Prime Minister sought to deny them the legitimacy to represent the genuine concerns of Albanian youth.