#viral | Flares in the Chamber: Albania’s Parliament Erupts as Opposition Revolts
#viral | Flares in the Chamber: Albania’s Parliament Erupts as Opposition Revolts
During the swearing-in ceremony of Albania’s new Human Rights Ombudsman, lawmakers from the largest opposition Democratic Party plunged parliament into chaos. MPs lit flares, hurled water bottles and papers, shoved security guards, and briefly took over the government benches, forcing the session to grind to a halt.
In response, the ruling Socialist Party called for the temporary suspension of 29 opposition lawmakers accused of participating in the disruption.
🪧 The turmoil inside parliament quickly spilled onto the streets. Mass protests erupted in Tirana, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the removal of parliamentary immunity for Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. Some of the rallies have turned violent, with reports of Molotov cocktails being thrown.
The unrest comes despite the Socialist Party’s strong electoral mandate. In the May 11 elections, the party secured more than 52% of the vote, winning 83 of the 140 seats in parliament. The Democratic Party won 50 seats.
The political crisis is unfolding as Albania is widely seen as a front-runner in the Western Balkans for European Union membership, alongside its northern neighbor Montenegro.
Demonstrations are continuing.
Interestingly, some social media users mistakenly thought that viral footage from the Albanian parliament showed Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada.
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