Hundreds of Albanians gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Office for the second day in a row to continue their protest over the price hike of fuel and consumer goods.
Protests have spread around Albania, including in the southern town of Devoll, north in Shkodër, and the coastal city of Durrës, the country’s second-largest city.
Civilian protestors have been joined in by firefighters demanding better pay and work conditions. Firefighters told local media they do not get paid overtime if they work in the evenings and the basic salary of 37,000 lek (€300) per month is not enough to sustain them.
Yesterday, 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.
