Tens of thousands of Albanians protested on Saturday against their government’s economic policies, including tax and energy price increases.

The demonstration in the capital Tirana also demanded action to reduce the country’s unemployment rate of nearly 18 per cent.

The protest was staged by supporters of the main opposition Democratic Party and its leader Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha.

He claims that the governing Socialist Party has taken the country into recession and his party’s MPs have been boycotting parliament since September, saying the coalition government is ignoring their complaints.

“The country is in recession and the recession was caused by the government,” Mr Basha told protesters from a podium raised in front of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office. “Tax increase is no solution.”

The Democratic Party says that Albania’s coalition government has broken electoral pledges by increasing taxes and electricity prices.

The opposition also accuses the government of having inflated government officials’ expenses.

“Don’t give to the oligarchs what you take from the people and citizens,” said Mr Basha, pledging continued protests and opposition “for our rights, to save the country.”

Mr Rama’s Socialist Party swept to power in June 2013, pledging to create new jobs but unemployment now stands at 17.7 per cent.

Mr Rama has accused the previous Democratic Party administration of increasing the country’s public debt, imposing failed energy and tax policies and granting £450 million in loans to private businesses that remain unpaid.

The European Union granted Albania candidate status in June.