Arben Taravari, leader of the Alliance for Albanians and Mayor of Gostivar, addressed a concerning incident in a social media post on Monday, revealing that a bullet had been left at his doorstep earlier in the day. He interpreted the act as a clear threat but affirmed that “the change has begun, and nothing will stop it.”

Law enforcement officers visited Taravari’s residence following media reports of the incident, confirming the presence of a bullet with a threatening message. Expressing regret for the impact on his family, especially his mother, Taravari criticized politicians who resort to silencing dissent with bullets, drawing parallels to the tragic events of 1992 in Italy involving the mafia’s assassination of Judge Giovanni Falcone.

Despite the intimidation, Taravari declared his determination for positive change, stating, “No matter how heavy artillery you fire, the change has begun, and nothing can stop it.” He acknowledged the personal risks but emphasized that the movement for change involves thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions of people who have risen to their feet, making it unstoppable.

Meanwhile, the European Alliance for Change issued a press release condemning the threat against Taravari as a “serious attack on democracy and European values.” They accused the current government, supported by Zijadin Sela, of resorting to threats and violence against those challenging their position. The bullet incident was described as evidence that the ruling party, along with its allies, is disconnected from European values and implicated in anti-European actions, drawing comparisons to leaders like Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vucic known for such tactics.

The European Alliance for Change called for a swift police investigation to solve the case and apprehend the perpetrators. A police report indicated the discovery of a cartridge from an automatic weapon at Taravari’s residence, prompting officers from Tetovo and Gostivar police departments to conduct an investigation and collect evidence for forensic examination.