Albanian Opposition Disrupts Parliament with Flares and Fire

Despite the chaos, the governing Socialist Party quickly passes the 2024 budget amid accusations of increasing authoritarianism.

Albanian opposition lawmakers disrupted a parliamentary session on Monday, protesting against what they claim is increasingly authoritarian rule by the governing Socialists.
The lawmakers lit flares, piled chairs in the middle of the chamber, and even sparked a small fire in an attempt to stop the vote on the 2024 budget.
Despite the disruption, the Socialist Party, which holds a majority in the parliament, quickly passed the budget in a session that lasted less than five minutes.
The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, accuses the government of trying to silence them and has vowed to continue their protests.
Berisha and his son-in-law were charged with corruption last month over a land deal, an accusation Berisha claims is politically motivated and orchestrated by Prime Minister Edi Rama.