Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that the measures against violence in protests were based on proposals made by the French and Italian governments on the same issue.
On Tuesday, October 27, the French Senate is expected to approve proposals made by President Emmanuel Macron against the violence in the protests that have affected several cities in the country.
The initiative called "Casseurs-payeurs" (Vandals pay) has received widespread criticism from unions, human rights organizations and the opposition.
Organizations such as Amnesty International France and unions argue that this law is mainly intended to intimidate citizens. By imposing fines of up to 10,000 euros, people will think twice before taking to the streets, thus violating a fundamental constitutional right.
Critics call the law arbitrary and legally dangerous. According to them, the fact that a peaceful protester can be fined or held financially liable simply for being in the same group or near someone who committed vandalism violates the criminal principle that everyone is responsible only for their own acts.
In the French media, many lawyers and historians have compared this initiative to the "Loi Anti-Casseurs" of 1970 (adopted after the May '68 movements and subsequently repealed), which was harshly criticized for its authoritarian and oppressive nature.
Other accompanying proposals, such as expanding drone surveillance and the government's idea to temporarily block social media during unrest, are seen as a step towards state censorship and mass population control.
The left-wing opposition has accused Macron of using a "purely police and financial response" to hide the government's failures in managing real crises, such as the high cost of living, controversial reforms and deep problems in the education system. ©LAPSI.al
