Earlier this week, the capital of Albania, Tirana, witnessed a dramatic clash between anti-government protesters and riot police, as thousands gathered to demand the government’s resignation in the wake of a significant corruption scandal.

The protests were fueled by the main opposition party urging citizens to voice their discontent and call for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. This demand came after a special prosecutor charged Balluku with undue influence in awarding a contract for the construction of a 3.7-mile tunnel in southern Albania, favoring a particular company.

Although Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime suspended Balluku from her governmental role in November, Prime Minister Edi Rama contested this decision. He appealed to the Constitutional Court, which subsequently reinstated Balluku in December.

Tensions in Tirana reached a boiling point on Tuesday, February 10, when demonstrators escalated their protests by hurling Molotov cocktails and other objects at the Prime Minister’s office, intensifying the situation. (Anadolu Agency via Reuters)

Balluku has vehemently denied the accusations against her, dismissing them as “mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths, and lies.” Prime Minister Rama has stood by her, refusing to dismiss her from the government.

The corruption allegations have ignited widespread public outrage, leading to months of protests as citizens express their frustration with the government.

“The wave of popular protests in Albania reflects a growing societal backlash against what critics describe as the increasingly autocratic rule of Prime Minister Edi Rama,” Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital.

“Over more than a decade in power, Rama is accused of centralizing authority and personalizing state institutions, while his government has faced persistent allegations of cooperation with organized crime and the misuse of public funds and public assets for the benefit of politically connected clients,” Nesho claimed.

Police officers hold shields outside the Prime Minister’s office during an anti-government protest, triggered by a corruption investigation into Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in Tirana, Albania, Feb. 10, 2026. (Florion Goga/Reuters)

The shady circumstances surrounding Rama’s most important ally and the lack of accountability reinforces the sentiment that is pervasive in Albanian society that their government is rife with corruption. With both the incumbent government and opposition figures accused of corruption, public confidence in institutions and the justice system has steadily been eroded.

Albania has a long legacy of government corruption and ranks 91st out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.

The protests on Tuesday turned violent when supporters of Berisha’s opposition Democratic Party threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at government offices in Tirana. Security forces responded with water cannons and tear gas.

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama (R) and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku (R) attend a press conference in the Shpirag region in Berat province, Albania on Aug. 23, 2023. (Albanian Prime Ministry / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Berisha claims the protests have been peaceful, and people are only voicing their opposition to Rama’s increasing autocratic rule and his attacks of the justice system.

At least 16 protesters were treated for injuries and 13 protesters were arrested, according to The Associated Press. 

Observers of the region believe Berisha, who was prime minister from 2005 to 2013 and faced his own corruption charges, is angling to topple the socialist prime minister and main political rival, Rama, and return to power.

The turmoil in Albania comes as the country has long sought European Union membership, which began in 2014 when it became an official candidate for accession. While the 2025 annual European Commission report stated that Albania made significant strides in judicial reforms and combating organized crime, the latest allegations against Rami’s government will complicate its path to EU membership.

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 December 2023 to November 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)

The United States helped implement Albania’s judicial reform process, including the creation of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK). The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) invested millions to foster democratic progress in Albania and assisted in combating Albania’s struggles with corruption and strengthening its weak institutions.

Nesho warned the U.S. and European Union need to get serious with policy in the Western Balkans and help move Albania closer to European integration.

“If Washington and Brussels continue to look the other way — failing to enforce the rule of law, restore real checks and balances, and cut the regime’s ties to organized crime and drug trafficking — Albania risks drifting into the orbit of Eastern-style autocracy,” Nesho said.