Albanian opposition lawmakers use smoke bombs in Parliament to protest 2024 budget vote

The Parliament, recently in the news for protests and brawls, witnessed another intense action against the ruling Socialist Party. Opposition members, piling chairs in front of the podium, unleashed red, green, and pink smoke bombs during the session, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, engulfing the hall in smoke. A small fire broke out but was quickly contained. Security personnel worked to keep opposition members away from Prime Minister Rama.

Despite these efforts, the 140-seat parliament gave preliminary approval to the 2024 budget with 73 votes. The budget, proposing 7 billion euros in public spending, will undergo further discussions in parliamentary committees before the final vote in the general assembly.

Opponents accuse Prime Minister Rama's Socialist Party of attempting to silence the opposition in Parliament. Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha, facing corruption allegations during his tenure, claimed that the judiciary's actions against him were orchestrated by Rama. Berisha pledged to continue resisting the "Rama regime" and restore pluralism in the Albanian Parliament.

Earlier, on November 9, opposition members, accusing the Socialist Party-led government of corruption, had released two smoke bombs in Parliament while demanding the formation of a commission to investigate the allegations. The session was adjourned by Speaker Lindita Nikolla following the incident​