Monday Briefing from the Balkans: October 6, 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: Between Hope and Despair
While political deadlock feeds despair in some corners of the region, glimmers of hope shine through in others, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week highlights. Original post Here
Albania and Colombia Arrest 17 for Trafficking Women for Sex Work
The EU police agency said 17 people suspected of trafficking women from South America to Europe for sexual exploitation have been arrested in Albania and Colombia. Original post Here
Rama’s Trump Joke Overshadows Copenhagen Summit
Tirana, Albania (Tirana Times). Prime Minister Edi Rama’s attempt at humor during a European summit turned into a viral spectacle on Thursday, overshadowing the European Political Community’s agenda in Copenhagen and sparking both international scrutiny and domestic criticism. The incident unfolded when Rama, known for injecting jokes into international meetings, …
Mayoral Election in Capital Stirs Albanian Opposition Hopes of Comeback
The byelection in Tirana, whose Socialist mayor is behind bars, is a precious opportunity for Albania’s opposition – but analysts warn that victory remains unlikely. Original post Here
Albania Govt Demands Elections in Capital Despite Jailed Mayor’s Court Appeal
Ruling Socialists push for new elections in Tirana as jailed mayor tries to block the move, claiming his dismissal is in breach of his constitutional rights. Original post Here
Kosovo Visitors Drive Summer Tourism Surge as Italian Arrivals Slip
Kosovo Visitors Drive Summer Tourism Surge as Italian Arrivals SlipTirana, September 26, 2025 — By Tirana Times Staff Albania’s summer tourism season ended on a stronger note in August, with a surge in visitors from neighboring Kosovo offsetting weak demand from other markets, particularly Italy. According to official data from …
Fourth estate’s useful idiots
(cases from Albania in which international media should had known better) The cashless dream This July, a Politico-Europe journalist texted me about comments regarding Albanian PM Edi Rama’s recent statement that he would abolish all cash payments by 2030. I replied that this would be a recurring attention-seeking stunt and …
Digital Rights Review: AI and Growing Uncertainty Over What’s Real Online
BIRN monitoring during August revealed widespread misuse of AI to impersonate citizens and politicians across Southeast Europe, while Albania appointed an AI as a government minister, and Turkey treated an AI chatbot as a criminal for insulting the President. Original post Here
Albanian Mayor’s Dismissal Seemingly Ends Rising Star’s Career
Erion Veliaj’s dismissal as Tirana mayor appears to have terminated the career of a man once seen as a possible successor to Edi Rama. Original post Here
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 …
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
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 …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
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
For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana. Original post Here
Albania also voices solidarity with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners after Iran’s missile attacks. Tirana Times, March 1, 2026 – Albania threw its support behind U.S. strikes on Iran in the opening hours of the latest Middle East escalation, with Prime Minister Edi Rama declaring that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary …
Kosovo and North Macedonia join support for Washington. Tirana Times, February 28, 2026 – Albania threw its support behind U.S. strikes on Iran on Friday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama declaring that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be officially designated a terrorist organization and saying Tirana would move to …
After months of defending his deputy and Minister of Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku, who faces allegations of manipulating public tenders, Edi Rama finally dismissed her on Thursday night. Original post Here
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