'Our nation is disappearing', Albanian opposition protests as EU holds summit in Tirana

Record ID: 1701151

  • Title: 'Our nation is disappearing', Albanian opposition protests as EU holds summit in Tirana
  • Date: 6th December 2022
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (DECEMBER 6, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE CORDONING OFF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS PROTESTING WITH ALBANIAN AND EU FLAGS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SALI BERISHA, WALKING WITH BRUISE SEEN ON FACE AFTER HE WAS PUNCHED BY STRANGER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS STANDING WITH ALBANIAN AND EU FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SALI BERISHA, SAYING: “Our nation is disappearing. Albanians today are facing ethnic cleansing in a genocidal way. Albania is in the worst existential danger in its history. We will save Albania.” BERISHA SPEAKING FROM STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SALI BERISHA, SAYING: “The narco-government (Ed' note: The opposition accuses the government of cooperation with drug cartels) is spending dozens and hundreds of millions of euros to steal the ballots without people reaching the ballot boxes. This is supported by other criminal organizations. In this poor country, the votes are bought even with 500 narco-euro. Here, narco-euros are used for every crime, including the crime they had planned for today (earlier assault on Berisha).” VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS LISTENING TO BERISHA (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) PENSIONER, MARGERITA TRASHAJ, SAYING: “The government has emptied Albania. It did not give hope to our children. Our children today are outside the country because he (Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama) wants to govern Albania only with his own close mafia people that are robbing Albania.” (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) FORMER LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKER, LULZIM MUHARREMI, SAYING: “The Albanian nation is being destroyed. Poverty has totally covered this country. And he (Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama) is organizing summits to lie to the Europeans about who Albania is. He only knows how to do propaganda, nothing else.” PROTESTERS CHANTING
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2022 15:09
  • Keywords: Albanian opposition Democratic Party EU summit in Tirana Sali Berisha opposition rally
  • Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
  • City: TIRANA, ALBANIA
  • Country: Albania
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001483506122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Tirana on Tuesday (December 6) as Albania hosts its first EU-Balkans summit, attended by leaders of European Union member states, to protest the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama and demand early elections.
    As the crowds were gathering meters away from the venue of an EU summit, Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha was punched in the face by a male bystander.
    Berisha, who leads the centre-right Democratic Party, walked in front of his supporters waving Albanian and EU flags, when a man approached him and punched him in the face.
    Berisha addressed the rally after the incident accusing Rama's government of connections with drug cartels.
    The government denies such accusations.
    Berisha, a former president and prime minister, is banned from entering the United States over alleged corruption. He denies the charges.
    European Union and Western Balkans leaders met in the Albanian capital on Tuesday for a summit meant to reassure the region of a future in the wealthy bloc amid fears of rising Russian and Chinese influence.
    (Production: Fatos Bytyci, Malgorzata Wojtunik)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register