The chief of the Albanian opposition centre-right Democratic Party has been attacked throughout an anti-government protest held close to a summit of European Union leaders and their counterparts from the Western Balkans within the Albanian capital.

Sali Berisha, a 78-year-old former president and prime minister, was main a whole bunch of protesters strolling towards the summit space in Tirana accompanied by former president Ilir Meta when a person got here out of the group and punched him within the face.

The attacker was instantly subdued by bodyguards.

Witnesses noticed Mr Berisha with a bloodied face.

It just isn’t clear who the attacker was or the rationale for the assault.

Police stated in a press release {that a} 31-year outdated suspect who was taken into custody had suffered from “psychiatric irregularities” and had beforehand confronted costs involving acts of violence and drug trafficking.

The opposition was protesting to the alleged corruption of Prime Minister Edi Rama, which additionally they blame for the nation’s cost-of-living disaster and the exodus of younger Albanians leaving for a greater life in Western European nations.

Mr Berisha immediately accused Mr Rama of the assault, saying he wished to cease the opposition from staging the protest.

Albania has seen greater than an 8% rise in costs this 12 months, particularly for fundamental meals and gasoline following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Rama says his cupboard has saved inflation low in contrast with double-digit inflation elsewhere in Europe, and has famous that the federal government subsidises electrical energy for households and small companies.

Mr Berisha’s celebration has been tormented by infighting after US secretary of state Antony Blinken final 12 months barred Mr Berisha and his shut kin from getting into the US for “corrupt acts that undermined democracy” throughout his 2005-2013 tenure as prime minister. The UK did the identical this 12 months.

EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts are in Tirana for talks geared toward strengthening their partnership as Russia’s warfare in Ukraine threatens to reshape the geopolitical steadiness within the area.