Archbishop Anastasios, who revived Albania’s Orthodox Church, laid to rest, marking end of an era
TIRANA, Jan. 30, 2025 – The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania bid farewell to its long-serving leader, Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, on Thursday, marking the end of a transformative era for the church and Albania’s religious landscape. The 95-year-old archbishop, who led the revival of Albanian Orthodoxy for more than three …
Albania Says Farewell to Archbishop Who Restored Orthodox Church
Archbishop Anastasios, who has passed away after almost 33 years as Primate, rebuilt hundreds of churches and schools, had a canny eye for business – and did his best to stay out of nationalist conflicts. Original post Here
Skyscrapers and Social Media: Getting Out the Albanian Vote Abroad
An Albanian businessman based in Italy is pulling the strings of a major online ad campaign to secure the votes of Albanians abroad for the ruling Socialist Party in upcoming elections. He also just got the green light for a major real estate development in Tirana. Original post Here
Digital Rights Review: Turkey Detains Data ‘Exploiters’, Serbian Tabloids’ ‘Hate’ Stories Removed
Turkey carried out arrests after disaster victims’ data was stolen, while Serbia and Albania faced crackdowns over misinformation and online violence, BIRN’s digital rights monitors found in December and January. Original post Here
Italy Sends Third Ship Transporting Migrants to Albania
After two failed attempts to sent migrants and asylum seekers to camps in Albania for processing under a controversial scheme instigated by Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, Italy sent a third ship that reached Albania on Tuesday. Original post Here
Anastasios, the Archbishop Who Rebuilt the Orthodox Church of Albania
He revived the Orthodox Church, which had been destroyed under the communist regime. Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Primate of Albania, passed away at the age of 95. He was a tireless advocate for ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. By Ilda Mara Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, a key …
A wasted chance for internal party democracy
This week the Central Elections Commission (CEC) consolidated what was previously agreed between the two major political parties in Albania, SP and DP, when it comes to the composition of the MP candidate lists in the upcoming general elections on May 11,2025. According to the formula that will be applied …
Albanian Art Show Depicts Trump as Icon of Freedom
Albanian artist Avni Delvina’s ‘Triumph’ exhibition playfully explores themes of the new US president as a Roman emperor, a Greek god and a ‘spirit of freedom’. Original post Here
Italy-Albania Migrant Offshoring Deal Tests Respect for Rule of Law
The opening of two Italian-run migrant camps in northwest Albania was a short-lived boon for local villagers. The camps’ fate now hangs in the balance, as a test of Europe’s commitment to the rule of law, rights activists say. Original post Here
Albanian PM Accused of Allotting Island to Trump’s Son-in-Law to Win Favour
A firm linked to Jared Kushner was granted ‘strategic investor’ status just weeks before the new US president’s inauguration, even without a business plan or feasibility study for the construction of a luxury resort on an uninhabited island once used by the army for shooting practice. Original post Here
Albania’s Special Prosecution has issued 20 arrest warrants and seized over 100 million euros in assets as it maps out alleged drug money flowing into major construction projects across Albania, including a resort promoted by relatives of Donald Trump. Original post Here
Albania hosted the 42nd EYCA Conference and General Assembly for the first time. The event focused on international youth cooperation, the exchange of ideas, and stronger youth policies. The conference brought together representatives from different countries to discuss opportunities and challenges facing young people. Among the participants were Erjona Ismaili …
Toni Gogu met with Mattias Guyomar in Strasbourg. During the meeting, the two officials discussed the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. They also reviewed the execution of rulings issued by the European Court of Human Rights and the progress of Albania’s justice reform. Furthermore, Gogu described the …
Silvio Gonzato took part in an event marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. UNHCR Albania, Albania’s Ministry of Interior, and other partners organized the event in Tirana. During his remarks, Gonzato stressed that the Refugee Convention remains a cornerstone of international protection for people fleeing persecution, violence, …
Justice Minister Toni Gogu took part in the informal meeting of the Council of Europe’s Justice Ministers. He spoke during a panel on the role of financial intelligence in combating money laundering and financial crime. During his remarks, Gogu stressed that the main challenge today is not collecting financial information. …
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania has recently made significant progress on its path toward European Union membership. According to Kos, Albania met the Interim Benchmarks Assessment Report (IBAR) requirements on the rule of law. As a result, the country can now begin the process of closing …
Andreas Schieder said the European Parliament will reaffirm Albania’s strong commitment to the European Union. Speaking during a plenary session of the European Parliament, Schieder praised Albania’s progress in the accession process. He noted that the country opened all negotiation clusters within just 13 months. In addition, Albania recently achieved …
Kosovo and the European Commission held the annual meeting of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Monitoring Committee. The meeting focused on the implementation of EU financial and technical support for Kosovo. In addition, participants reviewed reforms that support Kosovo’s path toward European integration. Since 2007, the European Union has …
Ferit Hoxha met with Günter Krichbaum during his visit to Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Albania’s path toward European Union membership. They also reviewed the current momentum of the EU enlargement process. Furthermore, Hoxha said they exchanged views on the opportunities created by the renewed focus on enlargement across Europe. …
In Albania, real civic society is no longer in donor-funded conference rooms. It is in the streets. By Mrika Temali Tirana Times, June 16, 2026 – Thirty-five years after the fall of communism, Albania offers a bitter paradox. The European Union, Western governments and international foundations have spent millions indeed …