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Protesters Punch 78-year-old Former Albanian President, Berisha In The Eye During Demonstration

Protest
December 7, 2022

The 78-year-old opposition leader was leading hundreds of protesters towards the venue of a summit of EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts in Tirana when a 31-year-old man emerged from the crowd and attacked him.

Former Albanian President, Sali Berisha, has been left with a black eye after a thug attacked and punched him in the face during an anti-government protest in the capital of Tirana.

The 78-year-old opposition leader was leading hundreds of protesters towards the venue of a summit of EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts in Tirana when a 31-year-old man emerged from the crowd and attacked him.

Berisha, who leads the centre-right Democratic Party, was thrown backwards by the powerful punch while his bodyguards rushed to subdue the attacker.

The former president and prime minister of Albania could be seen in a video gently dabbing his black eye with a handkerchief.

Daily Mail reports that police said a 31-year old suspect who was taken into custody had suffered from 'psychiatric irregularities' and had previously faced charges involving acts of violence and drug trafficking.

On Tuesday, thousands of opposition supporters gathered in the city as Albania hosts its first EU-Balkans summit, attended by leaders of European Union member states, to protest against the government of Prime Minister, Edi Rama and demand early elections.

The opposition are said to be protesting against the alleged corruption of Rama, which they also blame for the country's cost-of-living crisis and the exodus of young Albanians leaving for a better life in Western European countries.

The former president directly accused the Prime Minister, Rama of the attack on him, saying he wanted to stop the opposition from staging the protest, adding that the attack was a 'criminal act against him instigated by state police.'   

But Albania's socialist Prime Minister, Edi Rama 'unequivocally' condemned the incident, saying that “Violence has not been, is not and never will be a tool to solve a problem or a concern and anyone who uses it must face the force of the law,”

It was reported that Albania has seen more than 8 percent rise in prices of things this year, especially for basic food and fuel following the Russian-Ukraine war.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Rama said his cabinet has kept inflation low compared with double-digit inflation elsewhere in Europe, and has noted that the government subsidises electricity for families and small businesses.

But it was gathered that Berisha's party has been plagued by infighting after US secretary of state Antony Blinken last year barred Mr Berisha and his close relatives from entering the US for 'corrupt acts that undermined democracy' during his 2005-2013 tenure as prime minister. The UK did the same this year. He denies the charges.

EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts are in Tirana for talks aimed at strengthening their partnership as Russia's war in Ukraine threatens to reshape the geopolitical balance in the region.

 

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