“The way to demand rights and oppose those you feel do not represent you is through the peaceful, democratic contest of ideas and political forces,” Rama said in a message on social media.

He said many students and citizens who opposed the government had chosen not to join the demonstrations, which he said had peaked at around 1,500 people. He argued that some young idealists had been misled and radicalised by what he described as the destructive theories of ANTIFA and anti-capitalist ideology.

“Everyone is free to have their own ideas in a free and democratic country. But violence is not an idea. Violence is a crime. It is an enemy of democracy, freedom, peace and security,” Rama said, stressing the need to guarantee public safety and the rights of all citizens.

He also warned that further disclosures would follow.

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Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister Blendi Gonxhja invited art lovers to visit the exhibition, describing it as both an artistic and therapeutic project led by Renalda Ndreu.

The initiative explores identity, self-image and the need to be seen and heard.

Hosted in the HangArt space, the exhibition features stories and artwork by 30 young participants, documented by photographer Zeni Aliaj. The works were developed through a long creative process using clay, photography and communication as tools to express emotions, memories and personal experiences.

Each piece reflects fragments of the participants’ inner worlds, shaped through art therapy sessions and personal reflection.

The exhibition is a joint initiative involving the Centre for Openness and Dialogue (COD), Caritas Albania and the General Directorate of Prisons, and is presented at HangArt under an agreement between the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and COD aimed at expanding cultural and creative spaces for reflection, dialogue and expression.

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Speaking at a hearing of the parliamentary committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food, Salla said the government plans to step up support for livestock farming, with a particular focus on young beneficiaries.

“Many young men and women have filed applications for support in the livestock sector. We have decided to assist them with grants of 7,000 to 10,000 euros through this sector, in order to increase numbers and offer young people an opportunity in an area that requires greater attention and growth,” Salla said.

He added that the initiative has been discussed within parliamentary committees and with ministry staff and will form part of a broader national support plan for the livestock sector.

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In cooperation with the Embassy of Ireland in Greece, for two days in a row at the Puppet Theatre, children from the National Cultural Centre for Children invented characters, created new worlds and wrote stories together with the authors of Fighting Words.

These creations will be gathered in a special publication and will be presented on Saturday, during the closing night of the European Literature Festival in Tirana

During their visit, Fighting Words also met with Suad Arrilla and Antonio Çikollari, two young writers from Albania, for an open conversation about beginnings in literature, the emotion of seeing a first text published, and the moments when a story leads you somewhere completely different from what you had imagined.

They spoke about the writing process, about the rejections and doubts that often accompany this path, and about the joy of a published text, showing the young writers in the audience that behind every book there is a lot of work, patience, and challenges.

Second edition of FELT 2025 kicked off two days ago and it brings 12 authors, representing 13 EU member states, and takes place on 2-6 December.

Aiming to highlight the diversity of European voices, promote contemporary literature, and engage Albanian public with authors and creatives from all over Europe, the festival offers a platform for dialogue, understanding, and storytelling through dynamic formats.

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Addressing the final campaign rally in Tirana on Friday evening, Berisha expressed gratitude to opposition supporters and collaborators for their contribution during the month-long electoral campaign and voiced confidence for the opposition’s election victory.

“My friends, each and every one of you, hundreds of thousands other opposition supporters who are not present deserve gratitude for your energies, courage and enthusiasm as you saw the seeds of hope and victory in the hearts and minds of all Albanians throughout the country,” Berisha said in his speech.

The opposition leader highlighted importance of the May 11 vote, describing it as the chance “to save Albania and Albanians from the dictatorship that devastated, impoverished and isolated the country more than any other regime ever.”

Berisha called on voters to support the change on May 11, saying “this is a vote primary for the dignity of Albanian citizens themselves.”

Opposition leader promised sweeping tax cuts, reinstatement of a 10% flat tax, pension and wage hikes, and an array of business incentives if elected.

He promised to set a living minimum payment of 200 euros for every retiree and unemployed people, adding that a centre-right government will also increase the minimum wage to 500 euros within 100 days after election.

Berisha also pledged a 20% increase for all pensions, adding that a consumer card will be provided to every pensioner and low-income family to reduce the cost of their basic goods by 20%.

He vowed to double education budget, provide a grant of 5000 euros and 70% tax relief for every young boy and girl who launch a start-up, as well as a grant of 30000 euros for every young couple to purchase a new house.

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The government head praised young people for their involvement in a campaign of historic importance for Albania.

“I would like you to know that it doesn’t always happen for a first-time voter to have the privilege to contribute to something that is historic for the country,” PM Rama said, comparing the next month’s parliamentary elections in Albania with the landmark elections in 1992.

“Over all these years, many things have happened in Albania that has gone through dramatic moments. However, May 11 it is the opportunity in the hand of Albanian citizens to make history on the election day,” PM Rama said.

Socialist leader underlined that Albania should take advantage of the European Union readiness to expand further, warning that the EU door will not remain open indefinitely.

“The EU is a family whose door opens and closes. It opens at a certain moment to allow somebody or several ones in, but it closes for a long time afterwards. A total of 27 countries are inside that house today and they decide unanimously. This is the enlargement process of that house with all its 27 members having to agree to throw the door open,” PM Rama said.

According to Rama, with the accession talks scheduled to complete in 2027, Albania is fast-tracking and setting an example regarding the progress of the EU membership negotiations.

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Speaking at a campaign rally with first-time voters in the municipality of Belsh, central Albanian district of Elbasan, the government head said that young people may hold the key to this landmark moment for Albania and its European future.

He stated “this mission is an effort to deliver on something greater and far more important for the country’s future and the younger generations.”

“You are the ones working on daily basis to convey our message and ensure the election victory on May 11 so that we can accomplish a historic mission for future generations,” PM Rama said.

The Socialist Party leader called on young people to unite and deliver on this great goal with direct impact on their lives and the country’s future.

“For young people, this is an once-in-a-lifetime moment. It doesn’t happen every day, every year, or in every election, for you to be part of such an important history that is also the history of your country,” PM Rama said.

He compared today’s youth with the young people who lead the protests to overthrow Albania’s brutal communist regime in the 90s and the country’s transition from dictatorship to freedom.

The government head also outlined a series of EU membership benefits for Albanian citizens, spanning personal, professional, economic, and social aspects.

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The government head highlighted the importance of European Union integration for the country’s future as he addressed an election campaign rally in the coastal village of Spille, Kavaje Municipality, on Monday.

PM Rama outlined the EU membership benefits, stating that the country’s accession to the bloc would unlock substantial financial support of over 300 million euros for rural development.

The Premier also highlighted Albania’s huge progress, saying the country lag far behind its neighbours. He underlined that Albania’s accession to the EU would provide equal rights for its citizens alongside those of EU member states.

“Today, we have the opportunity to turn your passport into an EU passport. For each and every one of you wishing to attend higher education in Europe should know that they will pay no additional tuition fees, but same fees paid by every other European student,” Rama said.

He also highlighted other opportunities for youth in technology, education, and employment through better-funded EU programs.

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Speaking at a meeting with young people in boroughs 6 and 14 and Kashar in Tirana on Friday afternoon, the Socialist leader underlined that May 11 elections are crucial for Albanian youth and first time voters.

He said that number of young people joining Socialist Party is increasingly higher, adding that he expects number of young people supporting SP grows constantly in the coming days.

“It is very important that we see a high number of young boys and girls involved in the party’s election groups in Tirana and we expect them to do whatever they can to make sure that number of first-time voters backing SP on election day grows,” PM Rama said.

The government head voiced confidence that Albanian voters will make a very crucial decision by voting for SP on May 11 so that Albania can advance the European Union accession process.

The Socialist leader promised a EU passport for every young Albanian as a new status for them and not just as a travel document.

The government head outlined a series of benefits of EU membership, and the including free movement, equal health care and lower education cost for Albanian students, saying an EU passport would make Albanians first-class citizens.

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Speaking at a meeting with young people on Friday afternoon, Education Minister Manastirliu, also Socialist Party’s candidate in the May 11 parliamentary elections in Tirana district, described today’s meeting as very good experience for exchanging ideas on innovative projects and startups.

“These are concrete examples of what we are doing for young people, students, and you are the testimony of policies and programs by being the first to absorb support in the field of innovation, technology or investments in the education system and employment policies for young people,” she said in remarks at the “Youth Vision Albania 2030” meeting.

She said that investments have been implemented in 450 schools to improve infrastructure with laboratories and modern standards, while the number of laboratories has reached 340 and smart labs will be installed in 1,000 schools to support the development of technology within 2026.

She hailed the smart labs programme as a significant achievement for Albania’s education system, saying that developing digital and IT skills would help students to gain more knowledge on other subjects and disciplines.

The new smart labs already installed in various schools across the country currently help more than 35 000 schoolchildren and students to enhance their digital skills, while the initiative is set to further expand to a total of 1000 smart ICT labs.

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