Prime Minister Edi Rama recently gave an interview to the British media outlet ” UnHerd ” while speaking about the protests in Tirana.
In the interview with UnHerd, Rama said that today’s protests are mainly driven by small opposition forces, both from the left and the extreme right. He described the June protests as larger, emphasizing that according to him, today’s protests are not the same as those in June.
“Today’s protests are not the June protests, so the people who spoke today are different,” Rama said.
“I am very, very proud that we had such a large protest for days in a very peaceful way, and that no one was hurt,” the prime minister said.
Rama, among other things, emphasized that social networks and algorithms have played a role in mobilizing protesters.
“The algorithm did a lot to bring them to the boulevard. A very high percentage of the content is produced outside the building. It’s not Albanian,” he said.
Rama stated that the Zvërnec project will not be stopped, but the government will conduct a consultation process with interested parties. According to him, in the end the project will be successful and “will be beautiful.”
“If this didn’t have to do with Jared Kushner, Trump, Ivanka and all kinds of fantasies, this wouldn’t have been so good for the algorithm,” Rama said.
The Prime Minister was also asked in the interview about the opposition’s accusations of links between the government and organized crime. He rejected the accusations and categorically rejected the definition of Albania as a “narco-state.”
“‘Narco-state’, a narco-state that started closing negotiation chapters with the EU? It doesn’t fit in any way shape or form,” he replied.
Regarding former Minister Elisa Spiropali’s criticism of the way of governance and the possibility of divisions within the Socialist Party, he refused to comment, describing this as an internal party issue.
Rama also stated at the end of the interview that after 13 years at the head of state, he no longer has anything to prove to himself and that he now has his place in the history of Albania.
“Listen, I’ve been here for 13 years now. So I have three more years. I have nothing to prove to myself. I have my place in the history of this country,” he said.