Analyst Andi Bushati says that the claim of Prime Minister Edi Rama that the protests in Tirana are pro-Russian, is ‘ridiculous, painful and plain bad’

According to him, Rama has served the story of the ‘Russian fable’ many times, since in the days when opposition leader Basha boycotted the parliament and raised a tent to protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Bushati says the protest was sparked out of poverty, without any geopolitical motivations behind it.

“The people understood during the pandemic that they’re unprotected in times of crisis”, he said.

“It is the fable of a self-consuming man, who is no longer productive even when he lies. There is one problem if we do take this seriously. The protest is against a regime that has been supporting the oligarchy for the past 8 years and plunged into poverty the most vulnerable”, Bushati said.

Baton Haxhiu said that the cause of the protest is ‘fair’, but the timing is wrong, adding that people must wait for the war in Ukraine to end first.

Bushati maintained that people all around Europe are marching to show solidarity with Ukraine, whereas in Albania people are taking the streets for the price of oil.

“We need to raise the awareness. Oil is not the essence, but conscience should be. The people that watch how hospitals and people are getting destroyed simply wait for the right moment. This is not the time!”, said Haxhiu.