Albanian President Ilir Meta has called on the government to lower oil prices and prepare a package to help families that are going struggling financially because of inflation.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, Meta listed the alleged initiatives taken by other governments in the region to soften the blow of rising fuel prices.
Meta’s call came after hundreds of Albanian citizens protested on Wednesday in Tirana over rising fuel and food prices following the Russian war in Ukraine that escalated on 24 February.
Several hundred people gathered outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office, giving speeches and holding placards. While they expressed solidarity with the situation in Ukraine, they said the war is not in Albania and the current price rises are unacceptable. They accused the government and companies of conspiring to inflate prices, but also called on Rama to lower taxes on products like gas and petrol.
Currently, Albanian fuel prices are the highest in Europe and 17th globally, accounting for 20% of the daily income. A litre of fuel is currently 260 lek per litre, equivalent to EUR 2.08. Albania is also one of the poorest countries in Europe with a minimum wage of just EUR 240 a month.
It is not only car owners that are impacted. Costs will be passed on in other ways through increased prices of products and services.
Following the protest outside of Rama’s office, citizens progressed through other parts of the city and blocked the roads, bringing traffic to a standstill. Police intervened and a number of protestors were arrested and removed for blocking movement and taking part in an unauthorised protest.
