Blog
News

Inmate injured in Peqin prison shooting accused of collaboration with killer

Elbasan Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against Indri Shaqjas, the person who was injured by the shooting in Peqin prison. He is suspected of collaborating with Sokol Mjacaj for the murder of Arben Lleshi. According to the prosecution, his involvement in this event is being verified after a cell phone …

Read More
News

Gjirokastra border police’s director confirmed in duty

Ndue Doçi has been confirmed this Wednesday in office in the function of Director of the Local Directorate of Border and Migration of Gjirokastra area. Assessment body, set up by the Police Supervision Agency, said that Doçi was subjected to the control of three pillars: purity of image, wealth and …

Read More
News

Rama vows special categories loans interest will be paid by state

Prime Minister Edi Rama held this Wednesday an activity regarding the loans that will be given to the new families of doctors, soldiers and State Police employees, promising that the interest of these loans will be paid by the state. In his speech during the activity regarding the implementation of …

Read More
News

Population of nine Albanian districts fled to Tirana, Durres in 2022

Most of Albania’s counties, 9 out of 12 in total, are suffering population decline from internal emigration, in addition to fleeing abroad and declining births. INSTAT reported that in 2022 migration within Albania has a significant impact on the population of administrative units. In 2022, at the district level, only …

Read More
News

Burned human bones found in Shkodra

Burned bone remains were found on Tuesday evening in the village of Vilze in Shkodra. Police announced that the bones belonging to 67-year-old Qamil Lisaj were found in an improvised pit for burning coal. From the investigations so far, it is suspected that the 67-year-old man accidentally slipped into the …

Read More
News

Young man caught in possession of Kalashnikov rifle

A 28-year-old man was arrested in the village of Metallaj in Shijak, as part of the nationwide operation coded “Rule of Law”. This citizen possessed a Kalashnikov firearm in the apartment. When he did not see the police services, he tried to hide it in an area near his apartment. …

Read More
News

Op/Ed: The advantages of a regional experience

By Perparim Kalo, Founding Partner, Kalo & Associates As a witness to the birth and growth of CEE Legal Matters in the last 10 years, I can appreciate such a platform that keeps the legal profession updated with developments in the legal industry within CEE. I am also equipped with the …

Read More
News

Works of art traffickers arrested in Fier

Two people were arrested in Fier as part of the police operation coded “Value” this Tuesday. The two people, 51 years old and 57 years old, residents of Fier, in cooperation with other yet unidentified citizens, have trafficked works of art from the Greek state, to sell them in Albania. …

Read More
News

Killer of Peqin prison, 12 officials to face court after armed murder

Elbasan court has surrounded by numerous police forces this Tuesday morning, about two hours before the hearing on the security measure against Sokol Mjaçaj and 12 Peqin prison employees. According to the sources on the field, Elbasan police officers, the Albanian and Rapid Intervetion Forces teams are guarding the Elbasan …

Read More
News

Murder in Peqin prison, Sokol Mjacaj before the court: Multiple police forces in the courtroom

The hearing session has begun in the Court of Elbasan against Sokol Mjacaj, who will be recognized with the security measure, after killing Arben Lleshi and injuring Indrit Shaqjan in Peqin prison. Mjacaj arrived at the Court of Elbasan under strict security measures. In the testimony previously given before the …

Read More
News
Parliament Blocks Arrest Bid for Former Deputy Prime Minister Balluku

Shielding Balluku Could Cost Albania More Than a Court Case. Tirana Times, March 09, 2026 – Albania’s ruling Socialist majority moved Monday to block the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in a decision expected to be ratified by parliament this week and one that is rapidly becoming …

News
Albanian Ruling Party Refuses to Support Lifting of Former Deputy PM’s Immunity

Ahead of a vote in parliament on Thursday, the ruling Socialists reject a prosecution request to support lifting the immunity of dismissed former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here

News
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 9, 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
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

Parliament Blocks Arrest Bid for Former Deputy Prime Minister Balluku

Shielding Balluku Could Cost Albania More Than a Court Case. Tirana Times, March 09, 2026 – Albania’s ruling Socialist majority moved Monday to block the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in a decision expected to be ratified by parliament this week and one that is rapidly becoming …

News

Albanian Ruling Party Refuses to Support Lifting of Former Deputy PM’s Immunity

Ahead of a vote in parliament on Thursday, the ruling Socialists reject a prosecution request to support lifting the immunity of dismissed former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 9, 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

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 …