Anger in Albanian Mountain Village After Holiday Cabins Demolished
Albanian authorities have bulldozed dozens of illegally built holiday cabins in the picturesque mountain village of Theth, but critics say the state shares the blame for unlawful construction in protected areas. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: August 4, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Week in Review: Schemes and Interventions
Flashbacks from old habits, past failures, challenges and interventions are what link our selection of Premium stories together this week. Original post Here
Personal Data Misuse Tops Albanian Cybercrime List: Police
Head of cybercrime directorate says computer fraud and related offences – often for the purpose of financial gain – are the main cybercrimes committed in Albania. Original post Here
‘Tragicomic’: Ex-Political Prisoners in Albania Still Awaiting Compensation
More than three decades since communism fell in Albania, only six per cent of former political prisoners or their family members have received the full compensation they are entitled to. Original post Here
EU Keeps IPARD III Frozen Over Corruption and Abuse
Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have negotiated all accession chapters by 2027—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. A recent reaffirmation by the European Commission that €112 million in IPARD III agricultural development …
Unprotected, Women in Albania, Kosovo Face ‘Toxic Coexistence’ with Digital Abuse
Weak laws and institutional indifference mean women in Albania and Kosovo are largely unprotected against often devastating levels of gender-based digital violence. Original post Here
Albanian Drug Cartel Dismantled in EU Crackdown
Seizure of six tons of cocaine reveals how criminal profits are laundered into Albania’s booming construction sector. TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week asopposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against PrimeMinister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections …
Dirty Money Fuels Albania’s Construction Boom
Tirana, Albania – July 28, 2025 A sweeping European-led crackdown on a transnational Albanian drug cartel, culminating in the seizure of six tons of cocaine valued at over €400 million, has reignited concerns that Tirana’s high-rise construction boom is being bankrolled by illicit wealth from organized crime and corruption. The …
Opposition Alleges Vote Rigging via Building Permits
TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week as opposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections were rigged through an elaborate vote-buying scheme involving 450 illegal construction permits awarded to criminal …
TIRANA, May 26 – Albanian Radio and Television has launched the new edition of JuniorFest. The festival has promoted and showcased young Albanian talents for years. After memorable editions and successful performances, JuniorFest returns this year with a new artistic journey focused on music, creativity, and young performers. At the …
TIRANA, May 26 – Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi held a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday with the Speaker of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol. During the meeting, Peleshi discussed relations between Albania and Spain. In addition, he highlighted Spain’s continued support for Albania’s European Union membership process. At …
TIRANA, May 26 – The 8th Albania-European Union Intergovernmental Conference will take place in Brussels this Tuesday. The meeting will formally open the process for Albania to enter the phase of closing EU accession negotiations. The Agency for Media and Information said the conference follows a decision by the Committee …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-8″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-8″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-18″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> Members of the United States House of Representatives, Republican Keith Self and Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, are visiting Presheva today, where they are expected to meet with representatives of local authorities, Albanian political parties, and the Albanian National Council. The visit …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-1″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-1″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-4″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> Prime Minister Edi Rama took part in the regional conference of the Western Balkan countries focused on a shared vision: digital transformation, legal security of property, and European integration. During his speech, Rama stated that the success of digital transformation …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-2″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-2″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-6″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> The 8th Albania–European Union Intergovernmental Conference will take place this Tuesday in Brussels, officially paving the way for Albania to enter the phase of closing negotiations for EU membership. New details regarding the conference have been disclosed. It has been …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-3″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-3″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-8″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> Outstanding liabilities increased during the first quarter of 2026, after having dropped significantly at the end of last year. According to the data, debts reached approximately 6.93 billion lek, which is 1.1 billion lek more compared to the end of …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-(–header-height)” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”3d6c2277-5e8d-4828-a818-03c8857e9730″ data-turn-id-container=”3d6c2277-5e8d-4828-a818-03c8857e9730″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-9″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”user”> The tourist season, school safety, road safety, fire prevention, performance, response, higher-quality service for citizens, as well as the prevention and crackdown on all forms of illegal activity, were the focus of meetings held by the General Director of the …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-(–header-height)” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”116cd15b-b035-4cac-8752-4e7ea2d00d0b” data-turn-id-container=”116cd15b-b035-4cac-8752-4e7ea2d00d0b” data-testid=”conversation-turn-11″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”user”> The tourist season has officially begun on the coast of Durrës, once again reaffirming its position as one of Albania’s main tourist destinations. *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-5″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:78f52f71-e260-4cfb-9ca8-abfdce54886a-5″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-12″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> The high influx of tourists over the …
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, praised relations between Albania and France following a meeting held in Brussels with the French Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad. In a post on the social media platform X, Hoxha emphasized that the discussions focused on the European Union enlargement process, …