Prime Minister Edi Rama has commented on the violent protests in Tirana,
describing them as part of a hybrid war,
which according to him aims to create the perception that all of Albania is in chaos.
Rama declared that the overthrow of power through violence will not happen,
while claiming that the protests are being orchestrated by foreign actors and
that the real grievances of the citizens are being used to promote destabilization.
The head of the government also stopped at the clashes between the protesters and the police, stating that the number of injured officers is higher than that of the protesters.
“The overthrow of power by the imposition of violence is never going to happen, but it weighs dramatically on the psychology of Albanians. It creates the idea that the whole of Albania is burning, but this is an attack that takes place in a certain perimeter, that is orchestrated by hands that are trained for this work, that is fueled by fear like an internal fire by foreign actors. This has been understood and is becoming a big issue in all of Europe.
It is a hybrid war, which works to this extent because it is based on real concerns, not fantasy. Cost of living concerns, housing concerns, opportunities to have more, etc. are real. One of the points that is insisted on is: ‘The police are violating the protesters’. As we speak today, there are many more wounded officers than protesters. There are almost 200 injured police officers who have gone and received help at the hospital, and there are around 80 injured protesters,” said Rama.
