The 2025–2026 Albanian opposition protests were a series of anti-government demonstrations in Albania, held mainly in Tirana, against Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Rama government. The protests followed opposition allegations of irregularities in the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election and intensified after corruption proceedings involving Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Belinda Balluku. The main opposition Democratic Party and its allies demanded Rama's resignation, a technocratic government and new elections, while other political movements, including Shqipëria Bëhet and Lëvizja Bashkë, organized separate anti-government demonstrations.
The protests varied in scale from small gatherings in front of the Prime Minister's Office and Parliament to larger marches and violent confrontations with police. Several demonstrations included the use of Molotov cocktails, fireworks, flares and pyrotechnics against police or public buildings, while police responded in some cases with tear gas, water cannon and barriers. The protest wave resulted in injuries, arrests and criminal proceedings against demonstrators, including minors.
After the final demonstration on 8 May, the party-led campaign was superseded by the broader, citizen-led Flamingo Revolution, which began later that month and received support from all major parliamentary opposition parties while remaining independent of party leadership.
Contents
Background
2025 parliamentary election
In May 2025, Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election. The result was disputed by the opposition, led by former prime minister Sali Berisha, which alleged vote buying, misuse of state resources and irregularities in the diaspora vote. International observers described the elections as competitive and professionally managed, but also reported that contestants did not enjoy a level playing field and cited concerns over misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees, intimidation, vote buying and ballot secrecy.
The Democratic Party framed the election result as illegitimate and used the post-election period to call for anti-government mobilization. Berisha and other opposition figures linked their protests to wider accusations of corruption, state capture and the concentration of power under Rama.
Belinda Balluku corruption case
In October 2025, Albania's Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime opened proceedings against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Belinda Balluku over alleged violations of public procurement rules, including tenders connected to the Llogara Tunnel and other infrastructure projects. Prosecutors alleged that Balluku had interfered in the awarding of public contracts worth more than €200 million; Balluku denied wrongdoing.
In November 2025, the Special Court suspended Balluku from public office and imposed restrictions on her movement while the case continued. Rama initially criticized the suspension and announced plans to limit the judiciary's ability to suspend ministers under investigation, a proposal criticized by the opposition as an attempt to weaken judicial independence. On 26 February 2026, Rama dismissed Balluku as part of a cabinet reshuffle while the corruption investigation continued.
Other political disputes
During the same period, opposition parties also criticized government policies on public spending, social inequality, infrastructure projects, and the adoption of a new gender equality law. In November 2025, Parliament adopted a new Gender Equality Law that expanded protections against discrimination and included provisions related to gender identity. Opposition figures criticized parts of the law, arguing that it conflicted with traditional family values.
Timeline
Protests by the Democratic Party and Shqipëria Bëhet
17 November 2025: The Democratic Party held a protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office under the slogan "Let's save Albania", demanding accountability over the Balluku case and broader corruption allegations. The turnout was reported as low compared with later demonstrations.
8 December 2025 – 25 March 2026: Adriatik Lapaj, leader of Shqipëria Bëhet, began a sit-in protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office. The protest lasted 108 days and was presented by the movement as a non-party civic action against corruption and misgovernance. During the protest period, Lapaj and other activists were subjected to criminal proceedings.
18 December 2025: Opposition lawmakers, mainly from the Democratic Party, disrupted a parliamentary session amid escalating tensions over the Balluku case and other corruption allegations. They occupied ministerial seats, scuffled with guards and set off flares inside Parliament.
22 December 2025: Thousands of protesters gathered on Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard and near the Prime Minister's Office. The protest followed corruption charges related to Balluku and other officials, and demonstrators called for government accountability. The protest included incidents involving Molotov cocktails, one of which reportedly injured a participant. Four people were arrested.
24 January 2026: Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office. Demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks toward the building, while police maintained a large security presence. The protest followed recent controversies, including a fire at the "5 Maji" market, which Berisha linked to corruption and real estate interests. Al Jazeera reported that the protest turned violent and that arrests were made as the opposition accused Rama and his allies of corruption.
10 February 2026: A large anti-government protest in Tirana turned violent as demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails, flares and fireworks near the Prime Minister's Office and Parliament. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds. At least 13 people were arrested, including seven minors, and several people were injured.
Protests by Lëvizja Bashkë
11 December 2025: Lëvizja Bashkë staged a protest in front of the Albanian Parliament against the 2026 state budget, arguing that it increased inequality, favored oligarchic interests and promoted luxury tower construction.
18 December 2025: Lëvizja Bashkë and other activists assembled in front of Parliament following the Constitutional Court's tied decision regarding Balluku's suspension. No major incidents were reported.
9 January 2026: Lëvizja Bashkë held a protest in front of the Durrës Municipality building after major flooding in the city. Protesters demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, an investigation into the malfunctioning of the second pumping station, and accountability for the death of a municipal worker swept away by floodwaters.
19 January 2026: Lëvizja Bashkë held another protest in front of Parliament, demanding government accountability, Balluku's resignation and transparency in public tenders. Protesters used the slogan "Hand over Belinda!"
14 April 2026: A small number of Lëvizja Bashkë activists assembled in front of the Palace of Congresses in Tirana while the Socialist Party was holding a diaspora summit. The activists protested against corruption and the Balluku case, and confrontations occurred with police.
Reactions
Domestic
Rama Government – Prime Minister Edi Rama condemned the use of Molotov cocktails, fireworks and flares during Democratic Party protests, arguing that the demonstrations were not peaceful civic protests but politically organized acts of violence against public institutions. In March 2026, he dismissed violent protesters as "mercenaries" recruited by local political actors.
Movement for National Development – Dashamir Shehi, leader of the Movement for National Development, criticized the Democratic Party-led protests and argued that frequent demonstrations were serving primarily to prolong Berisha's political role. He also said that protests could not be held every week without a broader strategy.
Environmentalist Agrarian Party – Agron Duka, leader of the Environmentalist Agrarian Party, said that frequent protests did not produce results and argued that demonstrations should reflect genuine public anger rather than only party agendas. Despite this criticism, Duka's party continued to cooperate with the Democratic Party and opposition allies.
Djathtas 1912 – Enkelejd Alibeaj, leader of Djathtas 1912 and a former Democratic Party MP, criticized the protests led by Berisha. He said that "protests with Berisha do not bring any change" and described them as a repetition of previous opposition tactics.
International
European Union – The European Union Delegation in Albania condemned violence during the protests and stated that, although peaceful assembly is a fundamental right, violence "cannot be justified" and political actors should distance themselves from it.
Aftermath
The protests were followed by elections for the leadership of the Democratic Party, which were held on 23 May. Berisha was the only candidate after the disqualification of former MP Ervin Salianji, MP Alesia Balliu, Mereme Sela, Vladimir Mulaj and Evi Kokalari. He was officially reelected as chairman, with 37341 votes for him.
Flamingo Revolution
Following the demonstration of 8 May, political mobilization shifted away from the earlier party-led campaign. Later that month, protests against a proposed tourism development near Zvërnec and the Vjosa–Nartë Protected Landscape expanded into the Flamingo Revolution, a substantially larger grassroots movement that combined environmental demands with broader opposition to the Rama government.
The movement superseded the earlier opposition protests as the principal anti-government mobilization in Albania. Although its organizers emphasized its civic and non-partisan character and resisted attempts by established parties to assume control, it received support from all major parliamentary opposition parties, including the Democratic Party and its ASHM allies, the Opportunity Party, Lëvizja Bashkë and Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet.