2019 Albanian opposition protests
2019 opposition-led protests in Albania
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The 2019 Albanian opposition protests were a series of opposition-led anti-government demonstrations in Albania, held mainly in Tirana from February to July 2019. The protests were organised by the Democratic Party of Albania, the Socialist Movement for Integration and allied opposition parties against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Protesters demanded Rama's resignation, the formation of a technocratic or caretaker government, early parliamentary elections and the cancellation or postponement of the 2019 Albanian local elections.[1][2]
- Opposition allegations of electoral fraud in the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election
- Allegations of corruption, vote-buying and links between organised crime and government officials
- Opposition boycott of parliament
- Dispute over the 2019 Albanian local elections
- Resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his cabinet
- Formation of a technocratic or caretaker government
- Early parliamentary elections
- Cancellation or postponement of the 2019 Albanian local elections
- Electoral reform and action against alleged vote-buying
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| Date | 16 February 2019 – 8 July 2019 | ||
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The protests formed the opening phase of the wider 2019–2021 Albanian political crisis. Opposition parties accused Rama's Socialist Party of electoral fraud, corruption and links with organised crime, especially after the publication of leaked wiretaps in Albanian and German media that opposition leaders said supported their claims of vote-buying.[1][3] The government rejected the opposition's demands and said the protests were an attempt to block elections and destabilise the country.[4]
The protests created a severe political crisis but failed to achieve their main objectives. Rama did not resign, no technocratic government was formed and no early parliamentary elections were held. The opposition boycotted the 30 June 2019 local elections, which were held without the main opposition parties. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights later stated that the elections were conducted in a generally peaceful and orderly manner but were held with little regard for the interests of the electorate and without a meaningful choice between political options.[5]
Background
Albania had experienced repeated opposition protests before 2019, including the 2011 Albanian opposition demonstrations and the 2017 Albanian opposition protest. The 2019 protests developed in a climate of deep political polarisation after the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election, in which the Socialist Party won a majority and Rama secured a second term as prime minister. The opposition accused the governing party of vote-buying, pressure on voters and cooperation with criminal groups, allegations the government denied.[1][3]
Political tensions increased after a series of media investigations and leaked wiretaps concerning alleged electoral manipulation. In January 2019, BIRN and other media reported on wiretaps from a prosecution file concerning allegations of vote-buying and pressure on voters in Dibër County. In June 2019, the German newspaper Bild published further recordings that the opposition said implicated Socialist officials in vote-buying and voter intimidation. Rama rejected the accusations and said the publication of the wiretaps was being used politically against the government.[1][3]
The opposition also criticised the government's handling of corruption, organised crime and democratic institutions. Freedom House later described 2019 in Albania as a year of institutional crisis, citing the en bloc resignation of the parliamentary opposition, the impeachment procedure against the president and conflict around local elections.[6]
February protests and resignation of opposition MPs
The first large national opposition protest was held in Tirana on 16 February 2019. Thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside the prime minister's office, demanding Rama's resignation and early elections. The protest turned violent when some demonstrators tried to break through police lines and enter the building. Police used tear gas and water cannon, while some protesters threw objects and damaged the entrance to the prime minister's office.[2]
After the first protest, the opposition escalated the crisis by announcing that its MPs would relinquish their parliamentary mandates. On 20 February 2019, members of the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration resigned their seats in parliament, accusing Rama and the Socialist Party of manipulating elections, corruption and links with criminal groups.[7] The move was criticised by European Union representatives, who urged the opposition to remain in parliament and pursue dialogue.[7]
On 21 February, opposition supporters again demonstrated outside parliament while MPs formally handed in their resignation documents. The opposition framed the resignation of mandates as a step toward forcing new elections and a caretaker government, while the governing Socialist Party and international actors criticised it as damaging to democratic institutions.[8]
Several opposition candidates from party lists later accepted parliamentary seats, reducing the effectiveness of the boycott and creating divisions inside the opposition. The Central Election Commission began replacing the resigned MPs with candidates from the 2017 electoral lists.[9]
March and April protests
Opposition protests continued in March 2019. On 5 March, thousands of opposition supporters protested outside parliament, calling for Rama's resignation and early elections.[10] On 16 March, a larger demonstration began outside the prime minister's office and continued toward parliament. Clashes again occurred between protesters and police, who used tear gas and water cannon.[11]
Another opposition protest was held on 28 March 2019 outside parliament. Protesters attempted to break through police lines, while police used tear gas and water cannon. The opposition continued to demand a caretaker government and early elections.[12]
By April, opposition parties had also made clear that they would boycott the local elections scheduled for 30 June. On 18 April, another major protest was held in Tirana, while the opposition continued to argue that elections under Rama could not be free and fair.[13]
Boycott of the 2019 local elections
The opposition boycott of the 2019 Albanian local elections became the main focus of the crisis. The Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration refused to register candidates for the 30 June vote, arguing that elections organised by the Rama government would not be legitimate.[14] A new party, Democratic Conviction, founded by former Democratic Party figures, decided to contest the elections, but the main opposition parties remained outside the process.[14]
President Ilir Meta announced on 8 June 2019 that he would cancel the 30 June elections, arguing that the political crisis threatened public order and Albania's European integration prospects.[1] Rama rejected the decree and said the elections would proceed. On 10 June, he threatened to begin proceedings to remove Meta from office, accusing him of acting beyond his constitutional powers.[4]
The dispute over the election date intensified the protests. Opposition supporters continued to demonstrate in Tirana, while clashes and attacks on electoral materials were reported in some municipalities. Balkan Insight reported that tensions were rising ahead of election day as the opposition vowed to prevent the vote, while the government insisted it would go ahead.[15]
June and July protests
On 2 June 2019, an opposition protest in Tirana again turned violent. Protesters threw fireworks and other objects at police, while police responded with tear gas and water cannon.[16]
On 8 June, opposition supporters held another national rally in Tirana. Reuters reported that several thousand protesters attended and that some threw firecrackers and flares at police, who responded with water jets and tear gas. During the rally, Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha said the opposition's battle would continue until Rama left office.[1]
On 20 June, further clashes occurred as opposition supporters protested the planned local elections. Euronews reported that protesters clashed with police during the dispute over whether the vote should take place.[17]
Despite the crisis, the 30 June local elections were held. They passed more peacefully than many observers had expected, but the boycott meant that Socialist Party candidates ran unopposed in many municipalities.[18]
The final major protest of the 2019 wave was held on 8 July. Reuters described it as the tenth national opposition protest since February. Several thousand people again demanded Rama's resignation over alleged election fraud.[19]
Wiretap allegations
The opposition's claims of electoral fraud were strengthened in June 2019 after the German newspaper Bild published wiretaps from Albanian prosecution files. The recordings were presented as evidence of vote-buying and pressure on voters by people linked to the Socialist Party in previous elections, including in Dibër and Durrës.[1][3]
Rama rejected the allegations and said the wiretaps had been leaked by prosecutors and used by the opposition for political blackmail. He also said he would sue the German journalist who published them.[3] The opposition argued that the recordings confirmed its accusations that the 2017 parliamentary election had been manipulated and that new elections should be held under a caretaker government.[1]
Local elections and legal dispute
The 2019 local elections took place on 30 June despite Meta's cancellation decree and the opposition boycott. The Socialist Party won the overwhelming majority of municipalities, often without meaningful competition from the main opposition.[18] The OSCE/ODIHR final report concluded that voting was generally peaceful and orderly, but that the elections took place in a climate of political standoff and polarisation and that voters did not have a meaningful choice between political options.[5]
The dispute over Meta's decree led to an impeachment procedure against him. The Venice Commission issued an opinion in October 2019 on the scope of the president's power to set election dates. It concluded that, in the absence of a statutory provision, the president could cancel local elections only in a situation meeting the criteria for emergency measures and with a specific legal basis. The Commission found that Meta had exceeded his constitutional powers by cancelling and later postponing the elections beyond the mandate of local authorities without such a legal basis, but it also stated that the violation might not be serious enough to warrant impeachment.[20]
Outcome
The protests failed to achieve their main goals. Rama did not resign, no caretaker or technocratic government was formed, and no early parliamentary election was held in 2019. The opposition's resignation from parliament also did not stop the functioning of the Assembly, as some replacement candidates accepted mandates from the electoral lists.[9][6]
The opposition boycott of the local elections left the Socialist Party in control of almost all municipalities. However, the elections were widely criticised for the absence of meaningful competition. Freedom House recorded a decline in Albania's democratic governance and electoral-process ratings in its 2020 report, citing the parliamentary opposition's resignation, the impeachment procedure against the president and the local-election crisis.[6] OSCE/ODIHR recommended inclusive electoral reform, measures against misuse of administrative resources and safeguards for the independence of election administration and the judiciary.[5]
The protests and boycott deepened Albania's political polarisation and became part of the broader 2019–2021 Albanian political crisis, which continued until the opposition returned to parliamentary competition in the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election.