A shocking attack in the northern city of Shkodër has resulted in three fatalities and one injury. The victims were identified as two young men, one of which a well-known figure to the police and the justice system, for his alleged links to one of the criminal gangs operating in the area for years. The second was the son of a local politician who had previously ran for mayor of Shkodra for the Democratic Party. The third victim, who sustained injuries, was an innocent bystander traveling on a motorcycle that collided with the victims’ vehicle.

Why is this important: The attackers are suspected to be part of a rival criminal gang with a longstanding rivalry with the family of the first victim. The attack risks provoking a tit for tat between rival groups.

Context: This incident has ignited a political debate. Despite the identity of the perpetrators being unknown the opposition accused the ruling majority of having ties to criminal groups in Shkodër. They claimed that groups like these have been utilized in past elections, a statement echoed by opposition leader Sali Berisha during a press conference: “This is an uncontrollable revenge by the party’s gang, the state gang, to terrorize the city and impose terror through public executions, solely to secure votes for the leader of organized crime in Albania.”

In response to the attack, the opposition plans to move its protest to Shkodër. On Saturday at noon, the Democrats announced they would block roads as part of a so-called civil disobedience strategy to convey their message that they do not want to be governed by crime.

For the past 30 years, until the local elections of 2023, Shkodra had been a bastion of the opposition. For most of this time, the city has suffered from a serious lack of cooperation between the local authorities and the central government that caused Shkodra, one of Albania’s most important cities and cultural centers, to remain relatively isolated and lag behind many other areas of Albania in terms of development and public investment. In the upcoming elections, Democrats see Shkodra as one of their best hopes for a good performance, despite suffering a stunning loss in 2023.  

What was said: The Albanian Minister of Interior reacted to the incident by promising swift action: “Yesterday police have gone to Shkodër to arrest the perpetrators. They are there to do their duty. We will have concrete results regarding the incident that occurred yesterday.”

What next: In recent years, police actions ordered by the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime have targeted these criminal elements, which have extended their activities to various European countries, especially in Belgium.