Prime Minister Edi Rama has once again reacted to the massive student protests, alleging that “foreign hands” are behind the demonstrations and accusing forces he claims do not have Albania’s best interests at heart of fueling the unrest.

Speaking Friday morning from another fire-damaged building, Rama sought to reassure business owners and residents affected by the destruction, promising government support once the immediate crisis has passed.

“I want to tell all those who are in tears over these events and who run a small business in Tirana that they are not alone,” Rama said. “As soon as these flames pass, we will be there, standing together with them.”

The prime minister also drew parallels with Albania’s devastating earthquake, arguing that the country had overcome an even greater disaster through collective effort.

“We faced a terrible earthquake, with consequences that, God forbid, could have been far worse, and we overcame it together,” Rama said, adding that people who lost their homes had since moved into better and stronger housing.

Rama questioned whether the student movement was genuinely responsible for the unrest, arguing that the demonstrations and the destruction witnessed in the capital were unrelated to students’ concerns.

“How can students be part of this? How can parents’ investment in their children become part of this destruction?” he said.

“This has nothing to do with students. These flames are not student flames,” Rama added, describing the masked protesters and the disruption in Tirana as part of what he portrayed as a broader effort to destabilize the country.

The prime minister further accused unnamed forces of exerting control over Albania’s opposition and contributing to repeated episodes of destruction in the country.

Rama did not publicly identify the alleged foreign actors or provide evidence in the remarks cited here to substantiate his claims.

His comments come amid heightened tensions following the large-scale student protests, as questions remain over the demonstrations’ causes, the extent of the damage and the government’s response.