Two Republican lawmakers are urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address what they describe as democratic backsliding in NATO ally Albania, including by using the State Department’s visa restriction authority against Albanian officials credibly linked to significant corruption.
“We write to express concern about the state of democracy and the rule of law in the Republic of Albania, a NATO ally and candidate for European Union membership,” the lawmakers wrote. “The United States has invested heavily in Albania’s justice reforms and has a strong interest in their success. Recent events suggest that progress is fragile and, in key areas, at risk of reversal.”
The letter asks Rubio to exercise the authority granted under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act. That provision allows the department to publicly designate Albanian officials — and, when appropriate, their immediate family members — when credible information indicates involvement in significant corruption.
A demonstrator holds an Albanian flag while confronting police water-cannon vehicles during an anti-government protest in central Tirana on Oct. 17, 2026. The demonstration marked the fifth straight day of protests over university conditions and calls for the Albanian prime minister to resign. (Armend Nimani / AFP via Getty Images)
The letter was authored by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, chairman of the House Europe Subcommittee. They asked the administration to respond to four key questions by Nov. 5.
Among other requests, the lawmakers want the State Department to commit to reviewing Albanian officials for possible designation under its visa restriction authority. They also asked what support the United States is providing for Albania’s broader judicial reforms and whether the U.S. Embassy in Tirana is coordinating with local authorities to safeguard protesters and journalists.
Wilson and Self also sought an update on former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who was charged with interfering in public procurement for road construction. Prosecutors asked parliament in December 2025 to remove her immunity so she could be arrested. Prime Minister Edi Rama called the request unconstitutional, and parliament has not authorized the arrest.
The lawmakers argue that Albania’s anti-corruption bodies cannot effectively investigate corruption if political leaders protect the officials under scrutiny.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama addresses a press conference after the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels on May 26, 2026. (Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto)
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets, echoing protests in France and elsewhere across Europe, amid allegations of government corruption, inadequate education, unemployment and limited economic opportunity. The nationwide movement, led in large part by students, is demanding greater accountability, an end to corruption and what demonstrators describe as a restoration of democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Demonstrations began in the capital, Tirana, two weeks ago with calls for Rama’s resignation. The unrest soon became violent, as protesters threw Molotov cocktails at the Education Ministry and clashed with police.
Demonstrators also targeted the headquarters of Rama’s Socialist Party in Tirana, confronting riot police sent to protect government property.
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Albanian police in riot gear respond during an anti-government demonstration in central Tirana on Oct. 18, 2026. Protests continued for a sixth consecutive day over university conditions and demands for the prime minister’s resignation. (Armend Nimani/AFP via Getty Images)
Rama has blamed “foreign hands who do not want Albania in the European Union and who promote the masks that claim to represent students, but who in fact, more than students, represent organized crime itself.”
The prime minister has so far rejected calls to step down, but he has proposed opening a dialogue with protesters.
The violence unfolding across Albania is raising concern about a country struggling to preserve democratic standards while continuing its bid to join the European Union.
“Congress is deeply concerned about the situation in Albania as the government uses excessive force against citizens who are demanding accountability and clean institutions. Corruption and narcotrafficking associated with the Rama government must be countered,” Wilson told News Outlet in a statement.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., attends the first day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Albania’s unrest comes as the country continues its long campaign to join the European Union. It became an official candidate for membership in 2014. The European Commission’s 2025 annual report cited significant progress in judicial reform and the fight against organized crime, but ongoing corruption allegations involving the Rama government and the latest violence could make the accession process more difficult.
The student-led protests in Albania also resemble mass demonstrations in neighboring Serbia, where a student-backed political movement toppled longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić.
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, arrives at the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on May 13, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Vučić’s defeat by a student-backed movement, following nearly two years of demonstrations over corruption and government accountability, is a striking parallel with the unrest now confronting Rama in Albania, where protests have been ongoing for over 150 days,” Agim Nesho, a former Albanian ambassador to the United Nations and the United States, told Fox News.
“In Albania, students and other citizens have been demonstrating since May, with the latest wave of daily protests intensifying demands for the resignation of a prime minister who has governed for more than 13 years with rampant corruption and declining public services,” Nesho added.
