Prime Minister Edi Rama has outlined measures against violent protesters, including restrictions on access to European Union countries. He also announced plans for the government to cover 50% of the rent for eligible students. He presented the measures during a meeting with banking sector executives, against the backdrop of recent violent protests in Tirana that caused injuries and damage to public and private property.
Rama said Albania had improved its economic position compared with other countries in the region. He stressed that economic growth depended on work and cooperation, not violence. “The economy grows through work, not stones. The economy grows through cooperation, not by turning our backs on each other,” he said.
The prime minister announced plans to invest in technology to identify people who commit or incite violence, including those who conceal their faces during protests. He said the government had begun working with EU countries to restrict access for people involved in violent acts. He also warned that covering one’s face at public gatherings would be treated as a violation of the law.
Rama said institutions had received information about possible attempts to provoke a situation similar to the events of January 21. He also said authorities had neutralised a drone attack involving explosives against the prime minister’s office. He rejected accusations of disproportionate police force and cited comparisons with injuries during protests in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. In Albania, he said, two out of every three injured people were police officers.
He urged peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from people throwing stones or concealing their faces. He also said the use of tear gas could be avoided if protesters refrained from violence and damage to public or private property. Rama described young people involved in violence as manipulated and abandoned, and called on them to change course.
The prime minister also stressed the importance of democratic dialogue. He recalled the peaceful student protests of 2018 and the subsequent University Pact, which he said had delivered results. He criticised media outlets that, in his view, encouraged violence rather than condemning it.
Turning to housing policy, Rama said the government would cover 50% of rent for students who meet the eligibility criteria. The measure forms part of a draft law on affordable social housing. The Council of Ministers has approved the draft and submitted it to parliament for consideration. The proposals also include zero-interest loans for young couples seeking to buy an apartment, as well as loans at 3% interest for other eligible groups, including young professionals and public service employees.
Rama said the government aimed to support several thousand apartments annually, with particular attention to Tirana, where housing affordability remains a challenge. He also called for increased financing for youth employment, education and professional development. He thanked banks for supporting the “Double Your Business” programme, which helps small businesses through state guarantees, and expressed his intention to expand cooperation on housing and financing for young people and new businesses.
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