Overview
- Police reported at least 16 officers injured and 13 arrests after clashes in Tirana during a large anti-government protest.
- Demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks at government buildings as police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.
- Protesters are rallying over corruption allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, whom an anti-corruption court suspended in November over alleged procurement interference.
- Prime Minister Edi Rama has refused to dismiss Balluku and denounced her suspension as a “brutal” intrusion on the executive, while the opposition presses to lift her immunity.
- Berisha called another demonstration for February 20, and EU concerns over corruption persist, with a Commission spokesperson urging a prompt parliamentary decision on Balluku’s immunity.