Speaking at a weekly rally outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana, Berisha said Albanian citizens had shown they would not surrender.

He said tens of thousands of people gathered on the capital’s main boulevard last week to express their discontent and demonstrate that they remain “the hope of this country.”

“I have deep and boundless respect for the tens of thousands of citizens who filled Tirana’s boulevard on May 8 and became the reflection, the moral force and the true image of Albanians everywhere,” Berisha said.

Berisha said the protest was intended to send a message to “every free citizen in Europe and the world” that Albanians would not accept what he called a regime that turns elections into a farce.

He also accused the government of using legal proceedings against opposition leaders during the election year to intimidate political opponents and influence the electoral process.

/m.m/r.e/u.sh/

Berisha said Albania is facing rising living costs, low wages, and high levels of emigration. He argued that many citizens are increasingly compelled to shop in neighboring countries due to higher prices at home.

He also criticized the government’s foreign policy, particularly regarding Kosovo and regional initiatives, claiming that the Prime Minister’s positions risk undermining national interests.

Calling for civic mobilization, Berisha stressed that the Democratic Party’s primary objective remains safeguarding free and fair elections and bringing about a change in governance.

He described the protest scheduled for May 8 as a key moment for the opposition, signaling what he portrayed as growing public discontent.

Berisha further alleged links between the government and corruption and organized crime, vowing that the opposition will continue its political efforts to secure a transfer of power and restore what he termed the “dignity of citizens.”

“We have a clear program-first and foremost, to restore dignity to Albanians and ensure they vote as free citizens. No one understands better than we do, having endured one of the harshest dictatorships, that everything begins with the free vote. All of us here, together with thousands of others, must unite as defenders and advocates of free voting,” Berisha said.

/j.p/r.e/u.sh/