S&P confirms Albania’s ‘BB’ rating, maintains stable outlook
Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings has reaffirmed Albania’s long-term sovereign credit rating at “BB” and maintained a “stable” outlook. In its analytical report published on Sept. 21, the agency said Albania’s per capita income has increased significantly in recent years. At the same time, government debt and overall external debt …
Transparency Board Announces New Fuel Prices: Diesel at 213 Lek/Litre and Petrol at 193 Lek/Litre
The Transparency Board announced on Tuesday the new fuel prices in the country, approved at its meeting on September 22, 2026. According to the decision, the retail price of diesel has been set at no more than 213 lek per litre, while the wholesale price has been set at no …
U.S. Embassy: When the United States and Albania Stand Together, Communities Are Safer
The U.S. Embassy in Tirana has shared photos and details on social media from the 42nd Retraining Session of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) European Chapter. The training took place from September 19 to 23, bringing together professionals from the United States, Albania, and across Europe. In its statement, …
New Rules for Private Pension Funds Aim to Protect Citizens’ Savings
Greater oversight of private pension funds and more transparency for citizens. This is the aim of the new legal amendments announced for public consultation, which seek to align Albania’s pension fund rules more closely with European Union standards. The Financial Supervisory Authority is at the centre of the changes and …
Kosovo Albanian Accused by Serbia of War Crimes Released by Croatian Authorities
Croatian authorities have released Bajram Bajrami, who had been arrested on the basis of an international arrest warrant issued by Serbia. He was accused of committing war crimes while serving as a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Donika Gërvalla took the necessary …
Albania Has 28,000 More Women Than Men, Due to Emigration and Longer Life Expectancy
There are 28,000 more women than men in Albania. Although birth statistics in recent years show a ratio in which boys outnumber girls, at the end of 2025 there were 1,182,000 women and 1,154,000 men. At the end of 2025, Albania’s resident population stood at 2,336,000. Compared with the end …
Spain Could Hinder Montenegro’s EU Integration
Spain could become an unexpected obstacle on Montenegro’s path towards membership of the European Union (EU), due to Madrid’s domestic political agenda. The Spanish government is now directly linking the issue of recognising Catalan, Basque and Galician as official EU languages with the bloc’s future enlargement. Madrid insists that the …
Berisha Meets MEP Tarquinio: Albania Facing Severe Consequences from the ‘Narco-State’
Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha announced in a Facebook post that he held a meeting at the DP headquarters with MEP Marco Tarquinio, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. During the meeting, Berisha said he informed the MEP about the opposition’s concerns …
Day 115 of Protests, Citizens Gather Outside the Prime Minister’s Office
This Tuesday, numerous citizens and activists once again took to the streets as the ongoing protest entered its 115th day. As every afternoon, shortly after 6:30 p.m., protesters initially gathered in Skanderbeg Square, chanting slogans such as: “Your time is up,” “New Albania,” “Rama resign,” and “Rama in prison, Berisha …
Albania’s Intelligence Chief Suspended for Allegedly Aiding Crime Group
Intelligence service chief Vlora Hyseni is accused of involvement in a major corruption scandal surrounding tenders for the agency handling development of state information systems. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
A delegation of the Albanian Parliament took part in the Regional Parliamentary Anti-Corruption Clinic in Beciq, Montenegro, on September 24–26. MPs Milva Ekonomi, Antoneta Dhima and Kliti Hoti represented the Parliament. The National Democratic Institute organised the event with the Parliament of Montenegro. The meeting brought together MPs and parliamentary …
Albanian Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi said direct engagement with citizens and communities in EU member states is essential for the success of Albania’s EU integration process. He made the remarks at a conference with representatives of Albanian institutions and the European Parliament. Peleshi said enlargement cannot rely only on political …
Health and Social Protection Minister Klodiana Spahiu visited health facilities in Mallakastër to review investments, services and staff work. The visit took place as part of a process to restructure and reorganise health facilities. The process aims to align their capacities with community needs. Spahiu said the reorganisation aims to …
Prime Minister Edi Rama has called on the European Union not to leave the Western Balkans behind again. He said failure to integrate the region would also be a major failure for Europe. Rama spoke at the Inter-parliamentary Conference “Strategic Agenda for EU Enlargement and Albania’s Membership”. He said Albania …
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Albania is on the right track toward European Union membership in an interview with France 24. She included Albania among four countries currently making the most progress in the accession process. Kos described 2026 as a high-paced year for EU enlargement. She said …
Andreas Schieder, the European Parliament rapporteur for Albania, said the country has entered the final phase of its EU membership negotiations. He said Albania can close the remaining chapters within the set deadlines. Schieder spoke at the Interparliamentary Conference “Strategic Agenda for EU Enlargement and Albania’s Membership” in Tirana. He …
European Union Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said Albania has entered a new phase of its EU membership process. She noted that the country has opened all six negotiating clusters and provisionally closed three. Moreira de Sousa spoke at a conference with representatives of Albanian institutions and the …
European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman David McAllister said the European Union should advance membership negotiations whenever countries meet reform conditions. He spoke at the Interparliamentary Conference “Strategic Agenda for EU Enlargement and Albania’s Membership” in Tirana. McAllister said Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has increased the strategic importance of EU …
Autumn has begun to paint Tirana’s mountains in golden colors. After a long and scorching summer, golden grass now covers the slopes, while red shrubs add warmer tones. At the same time, green trees still dominate parts of the landscape, creating striking combinations of green, yellow, brown and red. A …