Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania
Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here
Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …
Europe Tightens the Fight Against Corruption, Albania at a Crossroad
By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …
Housing Boom Prices Out Albanians
Allegations of money laundering in construction and claims of informal power networks, including the case of Ergys Agasi, fuel concerns over a distorted housing market Tirana Times, TIRANA, 05 January 2026 – For many middle income families in Tirana, buying an apartment has shifted from a realistic life goal to …
In Albania, Women Often Quit Local Councils to Make Way for Men
Democracy and the rights of women are being undermined in Albania by the practice of filling electoral candidate lists with women, only to have them resign en masse once the results are in and cede their seats to men. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 5, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Balkan States Give Divided Reactions to US Strike on Venezuela
Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela’s regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for calm and restraint. Original post Here
Roaming Like at Home and the Western Balkans
By Genc Pollo Tirana, 02 January 2026 – Today’s decision by the European Union to grant “roaming like at home” to Ukraine and Moldova deserves praise. It is a practical citizen-centered step that immediately lowers costs improves connectivity and makes Europe tangible in everyday life. Yet the non inclusion of …
Albania in the EU Fast Lane – Accelerating Without Democratising?
Tirana’s EU accession process is running in top gear – but worryingly, there’s no sign this is being matched with a democratic deepening at home. Original post Here
by Genc Pollo Let’s start with the dog. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly,” says the Old Testament (Proverbs 26:11), offering a blunt metaphor for stupidity and the stubborn repetition of mistakes. That proverbial dog may be the right analogy for Prime Minister Edi …
By Augustin Palokaj Tirana Times, March 03 2026 – EU enlargement does not lack ideas; it lacks political will. That is why the recent joint opinion piece by Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, published in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, is troubling not so …
Do you live in the Balkans or France, and have you been awarded child support payments after divorce? Was the process easy – and did you receive the money as the court ordered? Original post Here
by Dr. Arben Ramkaj Tirana Times, February 28 2026 – At the very moment when diplomacy appeared to be moving toward a fragile agreement, the United States and Israel launched a unilateral strike against Iran, shifting the region from tense negotiations to open confrontation. The targets included strategic infrastructure and …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Some Balkan countries are planning to evacuate stranded citizens from the conflict zone around Iran, others have already managed to fly people out – although some have only issued security warnings. Original post Here
For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana. Original post Here
Albania also voices solidarity with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners after Iran’s missile attacks. Tirana Times, March 1, 2026 – Albania threw its support behind U.S. strikes on Iran in the opening hours of the latest Middle East escalation, with Prime Minister Edi Rama declaring that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary …
Kosovo and North Macedonia join support for Washington. Tirana Times, February 28, 2026 – Albania threw its support behind U.S. strikes on Iran on Friday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama declaring that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be officially designated a terrorist organization and saying Tirana would move to …
After months of defending his deputy and Minister of Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku, who faces allegations of manipulating public tenders, Edi Rama finally dismissed her on Thursday night. Original post Here