Rama pledges business aid after protesters burn Tirana barricades
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The government will pay to repair small businesses damaged during student-led protests that have spread from lecture halls to the streets of the capital. Prime Minister Edi Rama launched a portal for damage claims as tax inspectors began assessing the cost of flaming barricades and tear-gas skirmishes that have left 21 people wounded in Tirana and others in Vlora and Lezha.
The judiciary is moving as fast as the street. Sixty-three demonstrators appeared in court to face security measures, while police confirmed they are investigating online calls for terrorist acts. Despite the scale of the unrest, officials have not provided evidence of foreign interference, though students have labeled their movement a 'revolution'.
The domestic crisis coincides with a narrowing path toward the European Union. Reports suggest several member states are now blocking further expansion, posing a threat to the country's accession process. For Tirana’s residents, the immediate concern remains more local: the city was recently ranked as the most unaffordable in Europe.