Bringing Albania into History: Bernd J. Fischer and World War II
By Ilir Ikonomi One of the most important modern works ever written about Albania’s experience in the Second World War—Bernd Jürgen Fischer’s Albania at War, 1939–1945. This is not just a history book. It is an act of historical rescue. Fischer lifts Albania from the shadows of European historiography and places …
AKSHI Director Arrested in Major Corruption Probe
Case Involving Critical State Infrastructure Adds to Albania’s Growing High Level Corruption Crisis Tirana Times – December 16, 2025 Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure, SPAK, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, BKH, has carried out a large-scale operation targeting an alleged criminal network operating at the highest levels of the …
Albanian Prosecution Urges Parliament to Allow Deputy PM’s Arrest
Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime asks parliament to lift the immunity from arrest of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. Original post Here
Eight Accused in Albania of Rigging Information Agency Tenders
Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime raids a suspected crime group based at the National Information Agency, accused of running scheme to manipulate tenders. Original post Here
Deputy PM Balluku Arrest Bid Shakes Albania’s Rule of Law
Will Parliament Lift the Deputy Prime Minister’s Immunity? Tirana Times, December 16th , 2025.Albania has entered one of the most serious institutional confrontations since the launch of its justice reform, as the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) formally requested parliamentary authorization to arrest Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and …
Endrit Shabani Elected as Albania’s Ombudsman in Contested Process
New Ombudsman elected solely with the votes of the ruling majority – a break in tradition – after opposition MPS refused to participate in the vote. Original post Here
Albania‘s Constitutional Court Temporarily Reinstates Deputy PM Balluku
Court temporarily restores Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku to her duties, after the government disputed a court order that had suspended her. Original post Here
Budget 2026 – Big on Paper, Poor in Reality
By Nikola Kedhi On paper, Albania enters 2026 as a “success story”: the government speaks of GDP growth around 4%, low inflation, public debt at roughly 53% of GDP, and presents the 2026 Budget as a continuation of stability.In reality, Albania is an economy structurally dependent on construction where extraordinarily large …
New Chief Chosen for Albania’s Anti-Corruption Prosecution
Albania‘s High Prosecution Council chooses Klodian Braho as new head of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime – a body with the tough task of tackling high-level graft. Original post Here
‘The Biggest Fight is With the State,’ Says Albanian Eco-Warrior
Environmentalist Ardian Koci was awarded the 2025 EuroNatur Award for his campaigning conservation work in Albania – but he had already left the country after being fired by the Environment Ministry for speaking his mind. Original post Here
The theft of a shipment of cocaine that was smuggled from Costa Rica to Sweden exposed the role of Albanian criminal groups in the international logistics of the drug trade, as well as the challenges in holding them accountable. Original post Here
A new cyberattack by Iran-linked Homeland Justice group targeting Albania’s parliament revealed the continued vulnerability of state digital systems and failures to implement basic security measures. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the changing fortunes, power dynamics and neighbourly relations of countries and actors in South-east Europe. Original post Here
TIRANA, March 12, 2026 – Albania’s Parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party, has refused to authorize the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, blocking a request by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, and triggering one of the gravest confrontations yet between …
Survey of women who gave birth recently reveals a “pervasive yet often hidden crisis of obstetric violence” and a widespread dissatisfaction with medical care. Original post Here
Ruling Socialist Party uses its majority in parliament to vote down a prosecution request to lift former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s immunity, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here
Brussels has already gone cold on a scheme to allow some aspirant countries like Albania and Serbia second-tier membership – but that doesn’t mean that other creative approaches to European enlargement are off the table. Original post Here
Journalists’ union welcomes ruling that says government-imposed one-year ban on social media platform was a ‘violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press’. Original post Here
Tirana Times, March 10, 2026 – A cyberattack targeting Albania’s Parliament has revived one of the country’s most serious national security concerns, underscoring the return of a threat that Albanian institutions have come to associate with Iran linked retaliation. The breach, confirmed by Parliament on Tuesday, involved unauthorized access to …
The criminal charges facing former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku have dominated headlines in Albania for months – prompting her boss, Edi Rama, to pick a fight with the judiciary. Original post Here