Politics of Albania

President Ilir Meta (left) and Prime Minister Edi Rama during a ceremony of remembrance for WWII heroes on May 5 2019. Photo: LSA

After the failure of the meeting requested by the President, Meta said he was setting a new date for the local elections, due on June 30.

Seven international rights organisations have urged politicians of all sides in polarised Albania to stop their smear campaigns against journalists, and have urged the authorities to fully investigate recent unresolved attacks on reporters. They also urged the media community to show solidarity and report cases of threats and intimidation.

Protesters faced off police in a dozen towns across Albania on Wednesday, as opposition-run municipalities demanded that the Central Election Commission, CEC, vacate municipal properties planned for use as polling stations in hotly disputed local elections, which the opposition is boycotting.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed on Monday that he is being blackmailed by the publication of prosecution-intercepted conversations that are alleged to highlight widespread violations by scores of Socialist Party officials during local elections in the Dibra municipality in 2016.

Albanian opposition protesters using firecrackers against police on June 2. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

At their seventh large protest, the opposition parties again called for the removal of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Socialist-led government.

Serbian right-wingers have begun a concerted campaign against BIRN project coordinator Sofija Todorovic since she defended the rights of an ethnic Albanian baker in her hometown of Borca - himself the subject of nationalist attacks - sharing hate speech, insults and threats to her on social media and attempting to hack her account on Twitter.

Democratic Party protesters hold a placard saying "Rama Go" at a rally in Tirana on February 16. Photo: BIRN

Led by Astrit Patozi, a former deputy chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, the new party says it hopes to be the main electoral alternative to both the government and the opposition.

Albanian opposition parties urged supporters to come to Tirana on Saturday, rally near the main boulevard, where Prime Minister Edi Rama's office is located, and terminate the "illegitimate" rule of his Socialist Party.

The centre-right Democratic Party leader issued its last call for the protest on Thursday during a meeting in Vlora, a Socialist Party stronghold.

Protesters push through police in Tirana on 28 March 2019. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

The main opposition centre-right Democratic Party mustered its supporters at two points on the main pedestrian avenue and some of them attempted in vain to push through a police cordon near the entrance of the parliament.

Protesters push against police in Tirana on 21 March 2019. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

Protesters threw a coloured substance against one of MPs as he was entering the parliament in Tirana for the first time.

After the opposition parties summoned their supporters early in the morning, dozens of them threw firecrackers and smoke bombs while police pushed them back.