Speaking to journalist Rudina Xhunga on the “Flasim Shqip” podcast, Rama said Albania had advanced cyber-defence capabilities and was working with international partners to verify evidence before attributing malicious cyber activity.

“We now have cyber-defence technology that is ‘top of the top’ and significant capabilities to identify malicious activity,” Rama said.

He said Albania had a case file on the activity but that any attribution of a cyberattack required cooperation with other actors to verify the findings before publicly identifying those responsible.

Turning to the Sazan debate, Rama said artificially created profiles had been used to amplify various narratives online.

“They do not exist. They are created in laboratories and give voice to different narratives,” he said.

Rama said the experience had shown how thousands of artificially generated accounts, using Albanian names and identities, could increase tensions in the country’s digital space.

He also said some narratives surrounding the protests sought to fuel religious and ethnic divisions by linking the Sazan and Zvërnec investments to Albania’s relations with Israel.

Rama rejected claims that the Zvërnec investment was linked to the Israeli state, saying its main investors were two Syrian brothers who are Qatari citizens.

He said criticism of Israeli policies was legitimate but should not undermine Albania’s relations with Israel, while also highlighting the role of Albanian Muslims and Christians in protecting Jews during World War Two.

“Thanks to Muslims and Albanians, all the Jews here were saved,” Rama said.

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Speaking at the Ruhr Summit innovation forum in Germany, Rama referred to the protest movement taking place in Albania in recent weeks, saying he viewed it as an important message for his government.

“I am listening and trying to understand this message-not by counting people in the streets or measuring hashtags, but by understanding the concerns, anxieties and hopes that brought people there,” Rama said, adding that “a government that stops listening also stops governing.”

He said Albania had moved from an era when protests were banned to one in which citizens could freely express dissent, but argued that digital platforms now shape how demonstrations are perceived.

According to Rama, algorithms amplify emotional content and can create an online narrative that no longer reflects the reality of a protest.

“The digital reality became more influential than the physical one,” he said, arguing that algorithm-driven distortion of public discourse is a challenge facing democracies well beyond Albania.

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In his weekly message, Rama drew on a reference from French writer Stendhal’s novel The Charterhouse of Parma, comparing modern public discourse to the disillusionment experienced by the character Fabrice del Dongo when confronted with the reality of the Battle of Waterloo.

According to him, the story of Fabrice del Dongo serves as a metaphor for the modern age, in which illusions and false narratives spread through social media and algorithms, shaping people’s perceptions of reality.

The government head said many people join environmental protests with sincere intentions, but questioned whether some were being influenced by narratives serving interests unrelated to environmental protection.

“It is important to verify the facts,” Rama said. “When emotions are fuelled by half-truths, images taken out of context and slogans that spread faster than evidence, sincere idealism can become an instrument in the hands of those pursuing entirely different interests.”

The Prime Minister said his government had prioritised environmental protection through measures including restrictions on illegal hunting, forest conservation and the protection of biodiversity and protected areas.

Referring specifically to protests against the proposed Zvërnec development, Rama said the debate should focus on the merits and possible improvements of the project rather than opposition based on incomplete information.

“Flamingos do not need crowds swept away by algorithm-driven hysteria,” Rama said. “They need discussions based on facts and cooperation.”

He argued that some opposition to the project was being driven by political and ideological agendas rather than concerns specific to the Zvërnec and Narta ecosystem.

Rama said the project remains under development and has not yet reached its final form, adding that public discussion should aim to improve the proposal rather than reject it before all details are available.

“We are here to do what is best for Albania, for nature, for Zvërnec and for the flamingos,” Rama said. “But that requires cooperation with reality, sharing facts and discussing how the project can be made as effective as possible.”

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