On Thursday, tensions reached a boiling point inside Albania’s parliament as opposition lawmakers clashed with police amid growing corruption allegations targeting Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and other high-ranking officials.

In a dramatic display of dissent, members of the opposition Democratic Party ignited black flares, hurled water at the parliamentary speaker, and occupied seats designated for government ministers. Their actions aimed to disrupt proceedings as the country’s newly-appointed ombudsperson was set to be sworn in. Police stepped in to restore order, clearing lawmakers from the podium and allowing the event to continue.

The turmoil unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing investigations by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK). The investigative body has called for the parliament to revoke Balluku’s immunity, paving the way for her arrest on corruption charges. A parliamentary vote on this request is anticipated on Friday.

Amid the chaos, opposition lawmakers insisted on reviewing the detailed allegations provided to parliament following prosecutors’ move to lift Balluku’s immunity. SPAK accuses Balluku of engaging in corrupt activities designed to benefit companies involved in significant infrastructure projects, including a tunnel and the ring road in Tirana. These ventures are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of euros.

Opposition lawmakers demanded to see the formal allegations submitted to parliament after prosecutors moved to lift Balluku’s immunity. SPAK alleges that Balluku participated in corrupt practices intended to favor companies involved in major infrastructure projects, including a tunnel and the ring road in the capital, Tirana. The projects are valued at hundreds of millions of euros.

Balluku, who also serves as minister of Infrastructure and Energy, is considered the closest ally of Prime Minister Edi Rama. His Socialist party secured a fourth consecutive term earlier this year.

People gather during a demonstration held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in support of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who was under house arrest from Dec. 2023 to Nov. 2024 on corruption charges and is currently under judicial supervision by the Albanian Special Appeal Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (GJPAKKO). (Olsi Shehu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

According to Reuters, SPAK issued a criminal indictment against Balluku on Oct. 31, alleging she improperly favored a company in a tender for a 3.7-mile tunnel in southern Albania. Prosecutors later added a charge on Nov. 21 related to alleged violations in a Tirana road construction project, the same day a court initially removed her from office.

Balluku has denied the accusations. Addressing parliament ahead of a court appearance in November, she described the allegations as “mudslinging, insinuations half-truths and lies.”

The crisis has drawn criticism from Rama’s opponents and international scrutiny. In a Fox News Digital interview published Dec. 13, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations Agim Nesho said the government appeared intent on shielding Balluku rather than allowing justice to act independently, describing the situation as “state capture.”

Members of parliament from Albania’s Democratic Party, the country’s biggest opposition party, protest against the government inside the parliament in Tirana, Albania, Dec. 18, 2025.  (Stringer/Reuters)

The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the case, telling Fox News Digital it has “no comment on ongoing legal matters.”

Albania is a NATO member and a key U.S. ally in the Balkans, with Washington funding judicial reforms aimed at curbing corruption as part of the country’s bid to join the European Union.