Tirana Times, October 26, 2026 — Albania’s government has announced sweeping legal and financial penalties against anti-government protesters, including restrictions on foreign travel, signaling a tougher response to a student-led revolt that has plunged the country into its most serious political crisis in years.
The measures include heavy fines, prison sentences, restrictions on public gatherings and a special police registry of people suspected of protest-related offenses.
Announced Sunday by Prime Minister Edi Rama, the package comes as students continue to demand his unconditional resignation and disturbing footage of police violence raises serious questions about the government’s handling of the unrest.
The proposals suggest that the government is seeking to contain a political crisis through tougher laws and police powers.
“This is the wrong approach to a political crisis,” a diplomatic source in Tirana said, warning that reliance on coercive measures could deepen the confrontation rather than resolve it.
Rama, who has governed Albania since 2013, has rejected demands to resign. He insists the proposed measures comply with European democratic standards.
Heavy fines and restrictions on protests
The government’s package contains six sets of measures covering public assemblies, criminal legislation, financial liability, education and police monitoring.
Among the most controversial proposals are fines of up to 500,000 lek, approximately $6,200, for people who remain at demonstrations where violence occurs, even if they do not personally commit violent acts. Penalties would apply to those refusing to leave after police warnings.
Police could also restrict demonstrations for up to 72 hours around government buildings and other sensitive locations when authorities identify an imminent risk of violence.
Other provisions introduce penalties for unauthorized gatherings, concealing one’s identity and disobeying police orders. Tougher criminal sanctions would apply to attacks on officers, property destruction and online incitement to violence.
Rama also announced financial liability for parents of minors involved in violence and disciplinary measures against teachers accused of improperly mobilizing underage students.
While the government insists peaceful protests will remain protected, critics warn that some provisions could punish people who have committed no violent acts.
Travel restrictions raise constitutional concerns
One of the most controversial elements is the government’s intention to restrict international travel and access to services for people accused of protest-related violence.
Rama warned that individuals identified as violent protesters could face restrictions at airports, railway services, hotels and other transport facilities. He also announced plans to cooperate with European Union countries to prevent their entry into European territory.
A special electronic police registry would contain information about individuals referred for investigation or suspected of offenses against public order, even before a criminal conviction.
Legal experts have questioned the constitutional basis of these measures.
Article 38 of Albania’s Constitution guarantees the right to leave the country freely. Restrictions on individual travel require a specific legal basis and appropriate judicial safeguards. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, a judge can prohibit a suspect from leaving Albania.
Critics argue that the government cannot impose blanket travel bans or deny essential services simply because someone participated in a demonstration or appears on a police list.
Historian Çelo Hoxha, director of the Institute for the Study of Communist Crimes and Consequences, has described Rama’s threats to restrict travel as unconstitutional, arguing that executive decisions cannot replace judicial procedures.
The European Commission has also clarified the limits of the Albanian government’s authority.
Responding to questions about Rama’s announcement, a Commission spokesperson said decisions to permit or refuse entry into EU member states belong to the respective national authorities, under applicable European and national legislation.
The clarification underscores that Tirana cannot independently determine who may enter the Schengen area or impose restrictions on transport and accommodation services in other European countries.
The proposals have raised broader concerns about due process, the presumption of innocence and the potential use of administrative powers to intimidate political opponents.
Serious injuries and disturbing footage of police violence
The government’s tougher approach comes amid growing anger over allegations of excessive and indiscriminate police force.
Several protesters have suffered serious injuries during clashes in Tirana.
One of the most disturbing cases involves 28-year-old Erjon Vishkulli, who suffered a severe injury to his left eye during Saturday’s demonstration. He said he was struck by a rubber bullet while standing about 30 meters from police officers, without engaging in violence.
Vishkulli underwent emergency surgery in Tirana and was transferred to Italy for further treatment. His family hopes his eye can be saved, although the extent of the damage to his eyesight remains uncertain.
Television broadcasts and social media have circulated disturbing footage showing police officers using force that appears grossly disproportionate to the circumstances.
In one incident, six or seven officers are seen pursuing a young protester before surrounding him and repeatedly striking him with batons and kicks.
Other recordings show officers beating protesters already lying on the ground, apparently no longer resisting arrest. Additional footage shows groups of officers striking young demonstrators.
In another case, officers were suspended after footage emerged showing an injured young protester with a broken leg being dragged away.
On Monday, the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it had opened criminal proceedings concerning Vishkulli’s injury and was investigating suspected disproportionate police force in other incidents. Investigators had obtained approximately 20 medical records involving injured citizens.
The allegations have intensified criticism of the government as it announces harsher penalties against demonstrators while questions remain about police accountability.
Opposition condemns measures as unconstitutional
The opposition Democratic Party condemned the proposals, describing them as an attempt to intimidate students and suppress the growing movement.
Gazment Bardhi, chairman of the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group, accused Rama of seeking to preserve his power through threats of imprisonment, fines and police repression.
“Every letter of the package ‘Against Students’ is unconstitutional,” Bardhi said.
He argued that the government viewed student protests as a direct threat to its political survival and insisted that the measures would not stop demands for accountability.
Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha also denounced the initiative, comparing some provisions to restrictions on political expression under Albania’s former communist regime.
Berisha said the opposition would challenge the legislation before the Constitutional Court. On Monday, he announced that Democratic Party lawmakers would limit participation in parliamentary committee proceedings while increasing support for the student movement.
Socialist parliamentary group chairman Taulant Balla said Monday that changes to the law on public assemblies would be introduced through a normative act that could take immediate effect before parliamentary approval.
Balla reaffirmed that Rama would not resign and said dialogue should exclude those responsible for violence.
From the Flamingo Revolution to a national political crisis
The unrest grew out of a protest movement that began on May 31 in the Narta-Zvërnec area of southern Albania.
Known as the Flamingo Revolution, it initially opposed controversial coastal development projects threatening environmentally sensitive areas.
The movement expanded into a wider challenge to the government, driven by allegations of corruption, organized crime’s influence over the economy, concentrated political power, unemployment and the departure of young Albanians seeking opportunities abroad.
The student uprising that began in Tirana on Oct. 13 brought these grievances into direct confrontation with the government.
Demonstrations spread to Shkodër, Durrës, Vlorë, Elbasan, Korçë and other cities. Some turned violent, with attacks on government buildings, fires and clashes with security forces.
Students have received support from university lecturers, writers, parents and other public figures. Hundreds of academics have called for Rama’s resignation and criticized the government’s response.
Protesters have repeatedly rejected Rama’s offers of dialogue, insisting that his departure is a nonnegotiable demand.
On Sunday, demonstrators marched through Tirana and set fire to chairs the prime minister had placed outside his office as a symbolic invitation to talks.
Rama has accused opposition groups, organized crime networks, foreign interests and extremist activists of involvement in the unrest. He has also alleged interference linked to Russia, Iran and Antifa, without publicly presenting sufficient evidence to substantiate those claims.
A political crisis that cannot be resolved by force
The government’s responsibility to protect public order and prevent violence is not in dispute. Attacks on institutions, police officers and private property require investigation and accountability.
But excessive force against protesters, particularly those already restrained or no longer resisting, cannot be justified as a legitimate response to disorder.
Nor can criminal responsibility be extended indiscriminately to peaceful demonstrators because others in a crowd have committed violent acts.
The European Commission has stressed that responses to violence must remain lawful and proportionate, while reaffirming freedom of assembly and expression as fundamental European values.
The confrontation presents a serious test for Albania’s democratic institutions and its ambitions to join the European Union.
Rama continues to offer dialogue while refusing to resign. Students insist his departure must precede any political settlement.
The government’s new measures may strengthen its ability to control demonstrations. But they do not address the grievances behind the revolt.
Attempting to resolve a crisis of public confidence through police powers, punitive legislation and restrictions on fundamental freedoms risks further polarizing society and undermining trust in democratic institutions.
The immediate priority is to prevent further violence and ensure accountability for abuses by both protesters and police. The larger challenge is finding a credible political solution to a crisis that tougher laws alone cannot resolve.
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