'Flamingo Revolution' takes off as thousands demand Albanian PM's resignation

"I'm here for our hospitals, I'm here for our infrastructure, I'm here for my family that's outside [Albania], and wanted to be here. And for all of that, I'm mostly here for myself, because I want to stay in my country, and I don't want to leave."ReutersEdi Rama says the protests against his government are a sign of a healthy democracyRama and his Socialist Party have now been in power for 13 years. Much has changed in Albania in that time.The skyline of the capital Tirana has been transformed, with a plethora of towers mostly designed by international architects. At the same time, the tourism industry has boomed – transforming the country's international image and accounting for more than a fifth of GDP.Perhaps most impressively of all, Albania has made significant progress towards membership of the European Union. From a standing start in 2022, it is on course to complete accession negotiations by the end of next year. Of the six countries in the Western Balkans, only Montenegro is further ahead – and it has been in talks for a decade longer.Protestors have been calling for urgent improvements to Albania's schools, job market and living standards But that does not cut much ice with prominent protester Fatos Lubonja. The writer and human rights activist served 17 years in a forced labour camp during the rule of the notorious communist dictator, Enver Hoxha. Now, he alleges, the current government is propped up by "oligarchs, organised crime, the media and corrupt internationals" – and the building boom is little more than money laundering."We want to push justice to investigate," he says, gesturing to the towering new buildings surrounding Tirana's central Skenderbeg Square. "If you see all these skyscrapers, it comes out that this is a plan by organised crime, plus oligarchs, plus functionaries of the state."