Albanian Opposition Leaders Lit Fire In Parliament

On Monday, members of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party detonated smoke bombs and set a small fire in the center of parliament, in an attempt to prevent the vote on the 2024 budget from taking place. The fire was quickly put out as members of the opposition piled chairs in the center of the chamber, while security guards barred protesters from Prime Minister Edi Ramoni’s seat. A thick cloud of red, green and violet smoke rose into the air. Sali Berisha, the party’s de facto leader and a former Prime Minister, accused the government of attempting to muzzle the opposition in parliament, where Rama’s Socialist Party holds a parliamentary majority. “There is no turning back,” Berisha told journalists after the chaos in the lower house, where the budget was voted for the first time in less than five minutes.