After 29 consecutive days of nationwide protests, the protest movement says it is entering a new phase. Members of the Coordinating Group have announced plans to establish a National Citizens’ Assembly, which, according to them, will also be responsible for forming a Transitional Technical Government intended to replace Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government following its resignation.
One of the group’s members, Përparim Gjeka, published what he described as the political platform of the protest movement on social media.
According to the proposal, the popular will expressed during the Great National Protests of June 2026 supports the creation of three new civic institutions designed to transform Albania’s political system and begin what organizers call a new era of national development:
- National Citizens’ Assembly
- Executive Council of the National Citizens’ Assembly
- General Assembly of the Albanian People
The proposal outlines numerous eligibility criteria for those wishing to become members of the Assembly. However, it does not clearly explain how candidates will compete or how the final selection process will take place. For now, organizers have provided their personal phone numbers as contact points rather than a single official contact.
The proposed National Citizens’ Assembly would consist of 150 permanent members, with the possibility of expanding to 300 members through the inclusion of representatives from the Albanian diaspora and other Albanian-inhabited territories.
Among its proposed powers are:
- Convening future nationwide protests whenever deemed necessary.
- Appointing and dismissing the Executive Council.
- Selecting the members of a Transitional Technical Government after the departure of the current government.
- Promoting direct democracy and civic participation throughout Albania.
- Acting as a permanent guardian of the popular will expressed during the June 2026 protests.
The proposal also establishes strict membership criteria, requiring candidates to demonstrate patriotism, commitment to the Assembly’s decisions, support for institutional reforms, integrity, and opposition to what the organizers describe as the country’s longstanding political system.
According to the organizers, the National Citizens’ Assembly would function as a civic institution rather than a constitutional state body, with the purpose of representing citizens and ensuring that future governments respect the will of the people.
The initiative remains a proposal and, according to its authors, would first require approval from the Protest Coordinating Group and subsequently from the participants of the nationwide protest before it could officially enter into force.
Meanwhile, the organizers emphasize that the nationwide protest will continue without interruption, arguing that the creation of the National Citizens’ Assembly is intended to strengthen—not replace—the protest movement.
