In an intense display of political unrest, opposition lawmakers clashed with police within Albania’s parliamentary chambers on Thursday. This turmoil followed rising tensions marked by corruption accusations targeting Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and other high-ranking officials, as reported by Reuters.
During the session, members of the opposition Democratic Party ignited black flares, splashed water at the parliamentary speaker, and commandeered seats meant for government ministers. Their actions aimed to halt proceedings as the new ombudsperson was set to take the oath of office. Police intervened, moving the lawmakers away from the central podium, ensuring the ceremony could continue.
Protest activities were led by parliamentarians from the Democratic Party, which stands as Albania’s largest opposition faction, marking their presence in the assembly in Tirana on December 18, 2025. (Stringer/Reuters)
This conflict arises amid a significant development by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure, or SPAK. SPAK has called for parliament to revoke Balluku’s immunity, paving the way for her arrest on allegations of corruption. The parliamentary vote on this matter is slated for Friday.
In response, opposition lawmakers have demanded access to the formal charges brought forward in parliament following the prosecutors’ move to strip Balluku of her immunity. The allegations from SPAK suggest Balluku engaged in corrupt activities designed to benefit companies involved in substantial infrastructure projects, including a tunnel and the capital city Tirana’s ring road. These projects have a combined worth of hundreds of millions of euros.
Balluku, who also holds the portfolio of Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, is perceived as a key ally of Prime Minister Edi Rama. His Socialist Party celebrated a fourth consecutive electoral victory earlier this year.
People gather during a demonstration held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in support of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who was under house arrest from Dec. 2023 to Nov. 2024 on corruption charges and is currently under judicial supervision by the Albanian Special Appeal Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (GJPAKKO). (Olsi Shehu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
According to Reuters, SPAK issued a criminal indictment against Balluku on Oct. 31, alleging she improperly favored a company in a tender for a 3.7-mile tunnel in southern Albania. Prosecutors later added a charge on Nov. 21 related to alleged violations in a Tirana road construction project, the same day a court initially removed her from office.
Balluku has denied the accusations. Addressing parliament ahead of a court appearance in November, she described the allegations as “mudslinging, insinuations half-truths and lies.”
The crisis has drawn criticism from Rama’s opponents and international scrutiny. In a Fox News Digital interview published Dec. 13, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations Agim Nesho said the government appeared intent on shielding Balluku rather than allowing justice to act independently, describing the situation as “state capture.”
Members of parliament from Albania’s Democratic Party, the country’s biggest opposition party, protest against the government inside the parliament in Tirana, Albania, Dec. 18, 2025. (Stringer/Reuters)
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the case, telling Fox News Digital it has “no comment on ongoing legal matters.”
Albania is a NATO member and a key U.S. ally in the Balkans, with Washington funding judicial reforms aimed at curbing corruption as part of the country’s bid to join the European Union.
