Translated from Albanian · Original article in Albanian →

Tiranë / Berlin, 20 October 2026

Protests by students and young people in Albania have also drawn attention in Germany. Knut Abraham, a CDU member of the Bundestag and former adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, has reacted publicly to the events in Tiranë.

In a post on X, Abraham writes that he has followed the protests with deep concern. According to him, Albanian citizens are demanding an end to corruption, political favours and the links between organised crime and politics.

The German lawmaker stresses that these demands match the European values Albania has committed to respecting. In other words, he does not see the protesters as a threat to the country’s European path, but as a voice demanding precisely the standards the EU asks of Tiranë.

Abraham is not an incidental voice in German politics. In the Bundestag he sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, where he leads the CDU/CSU group. He is also a member of the German delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

His reaction comes on the eighth day of the protests, as young people continue to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Earlier today, police used water cannon and tear gas against protesters, while the OSCE/ODIHR called on the police to avoid unlawful and disproportionate force.

Abraham’s statement adds to the growing list of international reactions to the situation in Albania.

Source: Knut Abraham (X)