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Albania’s parliament in deadlock as opposition disrupts proceedings over investigative commissions, electoral reform

TIRANA, Jan. 19, 2024 – Albania’s parliament has started the new year in deadlock with now familiar scenes of opposition MPs disrupting proceedings in protest of what they say are “anti-democratic maneuvers” by Prime Minister Edi Rama to exclude the largest opposition group from investigative committees and a key electoral …

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Leskovik, man burned alive in cabin fire

A serious event was recorded late on Wednesday evening in the village of Oseckë in Leskovik, where a person was burned inside a cabin. It was the victim’s brother who notified the police. He told the police that he and his brother had consumed alcohol and then he left to …

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Valter Bami suspect of assassination released from prison

Valter Bami was released Thursday from the cell, after he was arrested in July of last year as being involved in the assassination attempt in Larushk of Kruja where 29-year-old Ramazan Sino, the brother-in-law of Gentian Bejtja, who was allegedly the target, was killed. On July 3, Ramazan Sino (the …

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Rama-Meloni deal on migrants to be reviewed by C.Court

Constitutional Court will review this Thursday at 10:00 a.m. the lawsuit of MPs of the group of Gazment Bardhi and Sali Berisha regarding the agreement for immigrants with Italy. 30 MPs consider the agreement between the two countries in violation the Constitution and international law. On December 13, the Constitutional …

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Three romanians wanted for robbing ATMs in Tirana

Three Romanian citizens have been declared wanted by the Tirana Police, after they robbed several ATMs in the capital. ABC News reporter Ervin Leka reports that the Romanians allegedly entered the territory of Albania in December 2023 and committed the first robbery on December 9. Also, it is suspected that …

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As Ecuador violence makes global headlines, experts point to Albanian connection 

TIRANA, Jan. 16, 2024 – Ecuador’s war on organized crime has made headlines across the world recently as the country’s president declared an internal state of war following armed clashes, unleashing the army to take on powerful gangs. The violence has been building for a long time as the Latin …

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Heir to Albanian throne, wife announce they are divorcing

TIRANA, Jan. 16, 2024 – Crown Prince Leka, grandson of the late King Zog of Albania, and his wife, actress Elia Zaharia, have announced in separate statements that they have started divorce proceedings.  The announcements come after weeks of speculation in the Albanian press after the couple did not appear …

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Foreign minister visits North Macedonia, agenda revealed

Foreign Minister Igli Hasani will visit this Wednesday North Macedonia on Wednesday as part of a three-day regional tour, after being to Kosovo on Tuesday. During the visit, Minister Hasani will be met by his counterpart Bujar Osmani, with whom he will hold a meeting at 08:50, while they are …

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Ambassador Hoxha moved to EU after finishing term in UNSC

Government has decided that after the end of Albania’s mandate in the UN Security Council, it will move Ambassador Ferit Hoxha to the EU. Graduated in 1988 at the Faculty of Foreign Languages; French Language and Culture, University of Tirana, Albania. He also graduated from the Dutch Institute of International …

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Sessions on former PM Berisha’s questioning postponed by SPAK

Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) has accepted this Wednesday the requests of the lawyers of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Jamarbër Malltez, postponing the interrogation sessions for next week. Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha was summoned on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to the Special Prosecutor’s Office to be questioned as …

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Do the Balkans really want EU membership?

By Daniel Serwer Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – While all eyes are on the Iran war, subtle but important changes are taking place with respect to the Balkans. I think the two most important are these: The Trump Administration is abandoning state-building and instead wants local people to make the basic …

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Marx on the Beach

By Zef Preci Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – Two centuries ago, Karl Marx offered a blunt description of how capitalism is sometimes born and consolidated: through what he called “primitive accumulation,” a historical process—often violent—by which people are separated from their land and productive assets, while wealth is concentrated …

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Week in Review: Friends, Foes and Chocolate Thieves

From European Union accession hopes to ongoing corruption investigations, our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the political wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes in the region. Original post Here

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The Biblical Dog and our chances for full EU membership 

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 …

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Albania Must Not Mirror Serbia’s EU Rejection

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 …

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Share Your Experience: Child Support Payments After Divorce in the Balkans, France

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

News
The War in Iran and Albania in a Fragmenting International Order

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 …

News
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 2, 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

News
Balkan Govts Scramble to Safeguard Citizens in Middle East Conflict Zone

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

News
Albanians Pay Price of Legal Row over Wastewater Treatment Project

For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana. Original post Here

News

Do the Balkans really want EU membership?

By Daniel Serwer Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – While all eyes are on the Iran war, subtle but important changes are taking place with respect to the Balkans. I think the two most important are these: The Trump Administration is abandoning state-building and instead wants local people to make the basic …

News

Marx on the Beach

By Zef Preci Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – Two centuries ago, Karl Marx offered a blunt description of how capitalism is sometimes born and consolidated: through what he called “primitive accumulation,” a historical process—often violent—by which people are separated from their land and productive assets, while wealth is concentrated …

News

Week in Review: Friends, Foes and Chocolate Thieves

From European Union accession hopes to ongoing corruption investigations, our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the political wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes in the region. Original post Here

News

The Biblical Dog and our chances for full EU membership 

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 …

News

Albania Must Not Mirror Serbia’s EU Rejection

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 …

News

Share Your Experience: Child Support Payments After Divorce in the Balkans, France

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

News

The War in Iran and Albania in a Fragmenting International Order

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 …

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 2, 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

News

Balkan Govts Scramble to Safeguard Citizens in Middle East Conflict Zone

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

News

Albanians Pay Price of Legal Row over Wastewater Treatment Project

For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana. Original post Here