Austrian newspaper Der Standard writes that new restrictions on gatherings, anti-government protests and tensions within the Socialist Party are putting Prime Minister Edi Rama under growing pressure. According to the newspaper, Rama appears increasingly nervous.
After several months of demonstrations against alleged corruption in Rama’s government, laws restricting freedom of assembly came into force two weeks ago. Under the new rules, 83 protesters have been fined for blocking roads and obstructing traffic. Albanian media report that the fine for allegedly blocking a road was 55 euros per person.
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Numerous civil society organizations called on parliament to halt implementation of the proposed legislation. They argued that violence committed by particular individuals cannot justify restricting every citizen’s right to peaceful assembly or imposing collective responsibility on participants and organizers.
With these measures, the government aims to curb street protests, which turned violent in October. Many demonstrators, meanwhile, describe the changes as an “intimidation tactic.”
Participation in an unauthorized gathering is now punishable by a fine of 100 to 1,000 euros. People who conceal their identities with masks face fines of up to 5,000 euros; the same maximum applies to those who fail to disperse when ordered to do so. Obstructing traffic is also punishable by a fine, targeting a form of protest that has proved highly effective in Serbia.
The new rules also establish “protected zones,” including around public buildings, from which police can order people to leave. In Tirana, this narrows the space available for demonstrations, as the zones also include transport hubs and terminals, ports, airports, areas around educational and healthcare institutions, and cultural heritage sites.
A new code of ethics is also expected to apply to teachers: they will not be allowed to take students under 18 to protests. The measure follows a particularly large turnout of students on the streets of Tirana in early October.
Der Standard also raises concerns about the ban on “remaining at the scene of violence after police warnings.” The wording leaves broad room for interpretation and creates legal uncertainty because it could affect not only those responsible for violence but also protesters near the unrest.
A “special electronic register” is also being created for people suspected of crimes against the state, public order or public safety. The lists have prompted strong reactions from many Albanian citizens, reminding them of the suppression of critics by the Sigurimi secret police under Enver Hoxha’s Stalinist regime.
The article also shows Rama walking among trees in a suit and tie, with the coast and colorful elements visible behind him. The newspaper notes that, after months of protests over alleged corruption and the introduction of laws that have caused discontent, pressure on him is also growing within his party.
The register is administered by the state police, but its consequences could extend beyond protests. If a check shows that a person has taken part in acts of violence at demonstrations, border police may prevent them from leaving Albania even if no formal security measure, such as a travel ban, has been imposed on them.
Police are also notifying private accommodation providers about people staying with them who appear in the register. Meanwhile, Rama has announced plans to add 630 officers to the state police. According to Der Standard, the government is not addressing widespread use of force by police officers, which has caused serious injuries to protesters in recent weeks.
Instead, the prime minister has promised a 2,500-euro bonus to police officers deployed at demonstrations. Some critics have viewed this as “political support” for violence against protesters.
Anti-government protests in Albania began in late May. Initially, anger centered on plans for luxury tourist resorts in a protected coastal area linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
The debate over corruption within the Trump administration in the United States could now bring closer scrutiny of agreements between the Rama government and the Trump family. Ivanka Trump, Trump’s daughter and Kushner’s wife, was seen on the Albanian coast in January, where she had dinner with Rama.
A few days after that visit, Albania’s National Council for Territory and Water, chaired by Rama, approved a construction permit for the “Tourist Resort on the Zvërnec Peninsula” complex. The permit covers residential blocks F1V2, F1V3 and F1R6 in Pishë Poro-Nartë, in the municipality of Vlorë, and names “Zvërnec South Adriatic Development” as the developer.
A November 2025 Sazan Development document obtained by STANDARD describes plans for luxury hotels with 800 guest rooms, luxury spas and marinas. The main marina would have about 350 berths for superyachts up to 100 meters long. The project also includes around 520 luxury branded villas with three to seven bedrooms and floor areas ranging from 350 to 2000 square meters, as well as a water park, an 18-hole golf course, a Longevity Center for medical wellness and regenerative therapies, an equestrian center and a casino.
Albanian law enforcement authorities are also investigating suspicions that drug money has been channeled into the legitimate economy to buy or reorganize land for the luxury resorts. In this climate, the newspaper writes, Rama appears increasingly nervous and repeatedly makes disparaging comments about the judiciary.
Tensions also extend into the ruling Socialist Party. Particularly visible is the rift between Rama and former Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj, who has been in pretrial detention for a year. Once considered something of a political protégé of the prime minister, Veliaj now has a different relationship with him.
After former Serbian president Aleksandar Vuçiç lost the election on October 25, Veliaj congratulated on Facebook the students who, he said, had brought down the “Machiavellian populist from Belgrade.” He wrote that student movements and protests do not mark “the end of the world” but the end of “a world,” and that citizens and political decision-makers must understand this as soon as possible to respond to the needs and expectations of that generation.
The post was read as a swipe at Rama: he, too, has been in power for almost as long as Vuçiç and faces similar mass protests. The article describes their styles of leadership as authoritarian, with power concentrated in a single leader, and recalls the close political cooperation between Rama and Vuçiç.
Albanian author and dissident Fatos Lubonja told STANDARD that the movements in Albania and Serbia bring together people with different political views but fundamentally seek to restore democratic institutions. According to him, both also oppose the traditional opposition, which they consider responsible for clientelism, corruption and the entanglement of the media with those in power; in Albania, ties to organized crime are an additional concern.
Lubonja believes the Albanian movement is less organized than the Serbian one. He says it struggles to remain united amid its diversity, while the “Rama system” is more deeply rooted in Albanian society and more infiltrated by criminal activity than the “Vuçiç system.” This, he explains, makes it easier for Rama to strike at the movement.
Another difference, according to Lubonja, is the EU’s position: recently, it has not supported Vuçiç, while it has openly supported Rama even during the protests. For Albanians, accustomed to seeking solutions through decisions made at the “center of the empire,” this is demotivating; Serbs, by contrast, act regardless of the EU’s position. Lubonja says Albanian protesters are currently disheartened because they failed to force Rama to resign. The article was written by Adelheid Wölfl on November 15, 2026.
