Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the ongoing protests in Albania should not be compared to the unrest of 1997, arguing that the country is facing an entirely different situation.
Speaking at a meeting with banking sector executives on Wednesday, Rama said the current developments were linked to the radicalization of some young people, as well as the influence of internal and external actors. He argued that the unrest taking place within a limited area in central Tirana does not represent the majority of Albanian citizens.
“It is extremely important to understand that what is happening has nothing to do with the ghosts of the past or with 1997. Today, we live in a different reality. We are dealing with people who are trying to impose their worldview through stones, fire, threats and pressure, turning an area in central Tirana into a stage where masked individuals confront the police,” the prime minister said.
Rama also addressed the attack on the Bank of Albania during the protests, stressing that the institution had not been targeted even during the unrest of 1997.
“The Bank of Albania has now become a target of stone-throwing attacks, something that did not happen in 1997, even though there were no other banks. The other banks were Sudja and Xhaferri. The Bank of Albania was not touched even in 1997, yet today it has been attacked with stones.
“We will address all these issues by identifying the necessary steps to further advance the legislation on affordable social housing, which the government has already approved and submitted to Parliament. Of course, we will also need your cooperation,” Rama said.
The post Rama: Bank of Albania Was Not Attacked Even in 1997, We Are Facing the Radicalization of Young People appeared first on Euronews Albania.
