Ongoing Protests in Albania Discussed at Conference Organized by Our Department of Political Science and International Relations

Ibn Haldun University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations held a conference titled “Discussing the Ongoing Political Protests in Albania” on 22 October 2026. Moderated by Asst. Prof. Ömer Behram Özdemir, the panel featured Assoc. Prof. Idlir Lika, who assessed developments in the country from domestic, historical and foreign policy perspectives.

The event coincided with an escalation of the protests: demonstrations that began in May against a coastal tourism project, and that called for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, expanded with the participation of students and spread to many cities from mid-October onward.

The Ongoing Protests in Albania and Potential Outcomes

Lika began with domestic politics, addressing the reform agenda Rama has pursued since coming to power in 2013 on a platform of fighting corruption and EU membership. He also discussed the pressure the corruption investigation into former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku has placed on the government. Referring to the events of 1997 in the country’s recent history, he described the absence of any fatalities so far as a positive development.

Turning to foreign policy, the panel highlighted that Albania maintains relations with competing powers simultaneously and at a comparable level. The US presence in the country and talks with Israel were discussed, while messages of support from American senators were interpreted in a regional context alongside the protests in Greece and Serbia. The potential geopolitical risks of the crisis were also examined.

Assessing the likely course of events, Lika stated that Rama is not expected to resign and that the protests may continue at a lower intensity. Rama himself has rejected calls to step down, describing the protests as the work of “a foreign hand” and framing the unrest as a threat to Albania’s goal of joining the European Union by 2030. The well-attended conference concluded with a Q&A session.