Albanian opposition lawmakers set off flares in parliament during central bank vote

Opposition lawmakers disrupted a session of Albania's parliament in Tirana on Thursday by setting off flares that filled the chamber with smoke. Fox News and Al Jazeera both reported the disruption. It came during a vote on a bill concerning the country's central bank, which opposition members tried to obstruct.

Sali Berisha, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, addressed parliament during the session and called ruling lawmakers "criminals". Fellow opposition lawmakers surrounded him holding images of protesters said to have been injured by rubber bullets.

The session took place amid weeks of student-led anti-government protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Protesters cite alleged corruption, education problems and poor economic conditions. The protests have turned violent, and government buildings have been set on fire.

Rama has governed since 2013 and won a fourth term last year. His government introduced fines of about $6,000 or more for anyone attending a protest that turns violent, even if that person did not commit violent acts.

According to Fox News, citing Reuters, Democratic Party members blocked access to the podium during the vote. Fox News also reported that Berisha's microphone was cut off and that the flares were blue, the party's official colour. Al Jazeera reported that the opposition did not prevent the vote. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the outcome of the vote or the content of the bill.

According to Fox News, protesters targeted the ruling Socialist Party's headquarters in Tirana and clashed with riot police, and unrest has spread to several other cities. Al Jazeera described the protests as Albania's largest in decades, with hundreds injured, including police officers. Citing public broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar, Al Jazeera reported that Rama announced measures for students, including higher stipends and subsidised rent. It said Rama has refused to resign.

What is disputed

Fox News says the protests began on 13 October. Al Jazeera says they began in May, triggered by Rama's preliminary approval of a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Fox News describes the protesters in the images as injured by police rubber bullets; Al Jazeera says they were "allegedly" injured. The reports do not include independent verification or a police response.

What each side says

Al Jazeera quoted Berisha as saying: "These [ruling lawmakers] are criminals and they deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, cracked skulls and broken bones, not the young people." According to Al Jazeera, opposition lawmakers accuse Rama of downplaying the protests and say they acted in support of demonstrators.

According to Fox News, Rama blamed "foreign hands who do not want Albania in the European Union" and said outside forces manipulating the movement "represent organized crime rather than students." The reports do not say when he made these remarks or what evidence he offered. They include no response from the government or the Socialist Party to the disruption in parliament.

Analysis

The chamber disruption shows political tensions moving from the streets into parliament. Several paths remain possible. Rama's student-focused measures could ease some grievances, though the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not indicate how protesters have responded. The fines for attending protests that turn violent, which Al Jazeera noted equal about six times Albania's average monthly salary, may affect turnout or may deepen anger. Berisha's rhetoric and Rama's claims of foreign interference point to sharply opposed narratives. Unverified injury claims and conflicting accounts of the protests' origins make independent reporting, and any official investigation, important for understanding what comes next.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.