For Tourism-Dependent Balkan States, Foreign Workers Fill Growing Gap
Tourism is a mainstay of the Croatian, Montenegrin and Albanian economies. But growing labour shortages mean hotels, restaurants and bars are increasingly looking abroad for staff. Original post Here
Share Your Experience: School Violence in South Eastern Europe
We would like to hear from parents, legal guardians, and teachers willing to share their experiences to help our upcoming investigation into school violence in Southeast Europe. Original post Here
Ruling Socialists Defeat Divided Opposition in Albanian Local Polls
Preliminary data from Albania’s Central Election Commission shows that the ruling Socialist Party is leading in the majority of municipalities in the country, including the capital Tirana. Original post Here
Opposition candidate wins Puka Municipality
Candidate of “Together We Win” coalition, Rrok Dodaj has won this Monday the May 14 local elections for Puka Municipality with 58.13%, against the Socialist Party’s (SP) candidate, Gjon Gjonaj with 41.87% Based on the published data, hope of the “Together We Win” coalition candidates to hold another term in …
Socialist Party leads in 54 municipalities from north to south, “Together We Win” is expected to win in 7 cities
A few hours have passed since the official start of the counting of votes to announce the new mayors from the May 14 elections. So far, the counting for the mayor has been completed in the Municipality of Kamza, in Elbasan and in Vorë, where the counting was done electronically, …
Ballot counting interrupted in Tirana’s number five unit
Counting of ballots has been stopped this Monday for several hours at the “Vasil Shanto” school in Tirana and is expected to start at 11:00. Halting of the process has come despite the order by Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Ilirjan Celibashi vote counters must continue working without …
Arrested opposition candidate wins Himara municipality
Candidate of the “Together We Win” coalition, Fredi Beleri has won the mandate of the mayor of Himara in the May 14 elections, although he was arrested on vote-rigging charges. According to the local media, Beleri won by a narrow margin to his Socialist Party (SP) opponent, Jorgo Goro. Meanwhile, …
Saranda, Belsh municipalities won by socialist candidates
Process of ballots’ counting has finished this Monday in the Municipality of Saranda and Belsh, where candidates of the Socialist Party have won over their opponents from the “Together We Win” coalition. Arif Tafani has secured the next mandate at the head of the city of Belsh with a very …
Socialist woman mayor elected in Klos municipality
Candidate of the Socialist Party (SP), Valbona Kola will be Mayor of Klos Municipality, where the ballot counting has been officially closed this Monday. Kola won the May 14 local elections with 4466 votes against the “Together We Win” coalition candidate, Bedri Hoxha who got 3499 votes. On the other …
Ruling Socialists head for sweeping victory of Albania’s administrative elections
TIRANA, May 15, 2023 – Albania’s ruling Socialist Party is projected to win 52 of the country’s 61 municipal elections, including every single large population center, as vote counting reaches its final stage. The Socialists are set to win the key races of the largest cities of Tirana and Durres, …
Balkan members of the Catholic Church have praised “broad-minded, spontaneous” Pope Leo XIV for his education, experience and openness. Original post Here
Tirana Times, May 8,– On May 11, 2025, Albania will hold its tenth parliamentary elections since the fall of communism in 1991 – a moment expected to be decisive not only for the political fate of the main parties but also for the democratic future and European orientation of the …
The Socialists and Democrats are still likely to dominate the Albanian political landscape after elections on May 11, but a cluster of new parties and the introduction of diaspora postal votes are threatening to shake things up. Original post Here
The Democratic League of Kosovo has filed 17 lawsuits in a fresh legal challenge against the outgoing prime minister, Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, and his ministers. Original post Here
Anonymous social media accounts, a lack of financial transparency and the unethical use of AI could have an impact on voter opinion ahead of Albania’s May 11 parliamentary election, BIRN has found. Original post Here
In an interview with BIRN, Zef Mazi, Albania’s former chief negotiator with the EU, poured cold water on Prime Minister Edi Rama’s election promise of EU accession by 2030. Original post Here
TIRANA, Albania , May 6th (Tirana Times ) — On May 11, Albanians will head to the polls for parliamentary elections marked by a crowded field of contenders: 53 political parties and over 2,000 candidates will vie for 140 seats in the national legislature. While this diversity may signal political …
President Begaj welcomes His Majesty Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with a solemn ceremony. May 2, 2025 | TIRANA, Albania Tirana Times In a visit marked more by symbolism than substance, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein arrived in Tirana on Friday for …
Tirana Times | May 2nd | Prishtina, Kosovo — A unique cultural bridge between Kosovo and Saudi Arabia was inaugurated on Thursday with the opening of the “Urat” exhibition in central Prishtina, showcasing the Kingdom’s rich Islamic and cultural heritage. Organized in partnership between the Islamic Community of Kosovo and …
The involvement of individuals with criminal backgrounds or ties to the underworld among Albania’s so-called strategic investors must be examined in a broader context. Politically, this phenomenon represents one of the clearest signs of the symbiosis between crime and politics — and of the state being effectively captured by organized …