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Albania’s former prime minister and leader of largest opposition group, Sali Berisha, placed under house arrest, ordered not to communicate with public  

TIRANA, Dec. 30, 2023 – Sali Berisha, Albania’s former prime minister and leader of the country’s largest opposition group, has been placed under police-supervised house arrest and ordered to stop communicating with anyone outside his household through a ruling of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime. The ruling …

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P.M highlights Albania’s economic growth in 2023

Prime Minister Edi Rama, at the year-end conference with journalists, emphasized that 2023 has been a very good year for Albania. The head of the government added that the year will close with an economic growth of nearly 4%, a figure that exceeds the forecast of the government and international …

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Police Director: Officers haven’t admitted use of ‘Sky ECC’

General Director of State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku taled this Saturday about the work of the law enforcement in 2023, focusing at the self-cleaning of police. At the annual meeting with journalists, Rrumbullaku spoke about filling out the forms, he said that they have all been collected, but no one has …

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Sali Berisha under house arrest

Judge Irena Gjoka announced the decision today, accepting SPAK’s request for tightening the security measure for the former prime minister. From today, Sali Berisha will be under house arrest. It remains to be seen if SPAK’s request has been approved in its entirety, in addition to house arrest, GJKKO has …

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Rama reacts after house arrest measure on former PM Berisha

At the same time that the Prime Minister, Edi Rama holds the annual conference, GJKKO (Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime) made the decision to toughen the measure against the former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, into house arrest. Rama reacted by stating that it is not a party’s victory …

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Next hearing on former PM Berisha’s arrest to be held

Next hearing regarding the measure of arrest against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is expected to be held this Saturday, at 12:00. In Thursday’s session, judge Irena Gjoka argued that the postponement of the decision was made to give time to the lawyers to familiarize themselves with the evidence. On …

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Librazhd, man dies in car accident

A 57-year-old man from Librazhd area passed away in a road accident, as reported this Friday.  Police informed that he lost control of the car he was driving and as a result he lost his life. In the meantime, the investigative group has started investigations to solve the circumstances of …

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High court’s head launches work balance sheet of 2023

Head of the High Court, Sokol Sadushi summarized this Friday the achievements for 2023, emphasizing that the number of backlog cases has been decreasing. In a media conference, Sadushi underlined that after examining the backlog cases accumulated throughout 2018-2019, there will be no cases that exceed reasonable trial terms. Speaking …

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Fier man arrested after punching two citizens in bar

A 53-year-old man from Fier broke the “house arrest” security measure and then got involved in a physical fight inside a bar.  Police announced Friday that he allegedly punched two other people. On its part, the investigative group has carried out all the verifications, while the 53-year-old man has been …

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EU talks, Foreign Affairs Minister warns of ‘good news’ in 2024

Minister for Foreign Europe, Igli Hasani, underlined this Thursday the achievements of Albanian diplomacy for 2023 and the priorities for the next year. In a press conference, he said that they expect good news at the beginning of 2024 as far as negotiations with the EU are concerned. Furthermore, the …

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Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

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How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

News
Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

News
Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

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The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News
Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …

News
Opposition Rejects EU Commissioner’s “Free and Fair” Assessment of Elections

By Tirana Times Staff TIRANA, Albania , November 22, (Tirana Times).  Albania’s main opposition party sharply criticized European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos for describing the country’s May 11 parliamentary elections as “free and fair,” arguing that her assessment contradicts the findings of international election monitors. In a statement delivered …

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Week in Review: TikTokcracy, Labyrinths and an Anniversary

New leaders, old challenges, the threat of ‘TikTokracy’ and – not least – a look at the Dayton Peace Accords thirty years later, are all themes that preoccupy our selection of Premium stories this week. Original post Here

News
Albanian PM Condemns Deputy’s Suspension by Court as ‘Brutal Interference’

Edi Rama slated the court decision suspending Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku while she faces a graft probe – and threatened to take the matter to the Constitutional Court. Original post Here

News
Albanian Special Court Suspends Deputy Prime Minister: Source

The special anti-corruption court suspended Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who is under investigation for violating tender procedures, and barred her from travelling abroad, a source told BIRN. Original post Here

News

Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

News

How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

News

Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

News

The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News

Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …

News

Opposition Rejects EU Commissioner’s “Free and Fair” Assessment of Elections

By Tirana Times Staff TIRANA, Albania , November 22, (Tirana Times).  Albania’s main opposition party sharply criticized European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos for describing the country’s May 11 parliamentary elections as “free and fair,” arguing that her assessment contradicts the findings of international election monitors. In a statement delivered …

News

Week in Review: TikTokcracy, Labyrinths and an Anniversary

New leaders, old challenges, the threat of ‘TikTokracy’ and – not least – a look at the Dayton Peace Accords thirty years later, are all themes that preoccupy our selection of Premium stories this week. Original post Here

News

Albanian PM Condemns Deputy’s Suspension by Court as ‘Brutal Interference’

Edi Rama slated the court decision suspending Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku while she faces a graft probe – and threatened to take the matter to the Constitutional Court. Original post Here

News

Albanian Special Court Suspends Deputy Prime Minister: Source

The special anti-corruption court suspended Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who is under investigation for violating tender procedures, and barred her from travelling abroad, a source told BIRN. Original post Here