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Trump’s Tariffs Hit Albanian Exports Hard, Exposing Weakness in U.S.-Albania Economic Ties

Albanian exports to the United States have plummeted following the imposition of a 10% tariff on goods by President Donald Trump’s administration — part of a broader protectionist trade policy that has unsettled global markets and strained economic relations with several U.S. allies and partners. According to the Albanian Institute …

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After Albania’s Election: Socialists’ Huge Majority Rings Alarm for Democracy

With 83 of parliament’s 140 seats, the ruling Socialists have never been stronger. In the first of a series on Albania’s post-election political landscape, BIRN examines how democratic standards and the struggle against corruption could be affected. Original post Here

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From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition

This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition appeared first on Tirana Times. Original post Here

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Behind the Façade: What’s Fueling Albania’s Real Estate Boom?

In recent years, Albania—particularly its capital, Tirana—has witnessed a real estate boom of unprecedented proportions. Tower cranes dominate the skyline, new developments sprout at every corner, and record-breaking building permits have become the norm. At first glance, this might seem like a sign of economic vitality. But beneath the surface …

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A Taste of Friendship: Turkish Diplomat Bridges Two Nations Through the Language of Food

Edibe Sinem Atay’s new cookbook on Turkish and Albanian cuisine is more than a culinary collection — it is a heartfelt celebration of history, identity, and shared heritage. TIRANA, May 24, 2025.When diplomacy meets the warmth of the kitchen, something deeply human and enduring is born. Edibe Sinem Atay, a …

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Tirana Pride Highlights Albania’s LGBT+ Progress Amid EU Hopes

TIRANA, May 25, 2025— Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Albania’s capital on Saturday during the annual Pride Parade, demanding equal rights, legal recognition, and dignity for the LGBT+ community under the motto “Side by Side.” The event, marked by colorful banners and strong calls for inclusion, received …

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Albania’s Vanishing Electorate: Emigration, Not a Boycott, Powered the Socialist Victory

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s ruling Socialist Party secured another sweeping victory in the May 11 parliamentary elections, but analysts say the most significant result wasn’t who won—but who wasn’t there to vote. Official data from the Central Election Commission indicate that at least 200,000 fewer people voted in 2025 compared …

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Fight to Protect Albania’s ‘Wild River’ Isn’t Over, Say Environmental Prize-Winners

Activists Olsi Nika and Besjana Guri tell BIRN they see their prestigious international prize as fresh motivation to continue their campaign to save one of Europe’s last wild rivers from development. Original post Here

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Crime Crackdown Exposes Albania’s Deep State-Organized Crime Links

Joint Italy-Albania Crime Crackdown Exposes Deep Ties Between Organized Crime and State Structures in Albania TIRANA, Albania ,Tirana Times May 21 — A sweeping anti-drug operation conducted jointly by Italian and Albanian authorities has laid bare what critics describe as the entrenched links between organized crime and political power in …

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Narco-Politics and the Erosion of Democracy in Albania

In a country where democratic institutions are already fragile, a sprawling Italian anti-mafia investigation has thrown Albania’s political establishment into turmoil. At its heart lies the so-called Troplini Group, a narco-network accused of trafficking heroin and cocaine from Latin America through the Port of Durrës, laundering profits via the country’s …

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Kremlin Echoes in Balkan Clickbait: How Fake Baba Vanga Prophecies Spread Across Albanian Media

TIRANA, Tirana Times, December 16, 2025. Each December, apocalyptic headlines resurface across Albanian media warning of global collapse, Europe’s disappearance or the rise of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a world ruler, all attributed to the supposed prophecies of Baba Vanga, a blind Bulgarian mystic who died nearly three decades ago. …

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Serbia Loses Kushner Investment, Vučić Points to Albania

Albania’s Sazan Island project backed by Trump’s son-in-law draws scrutiny over transparency and political motives BELGRADE, Serbia, Tirana Times –  Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia has suffered a major economic setback after a company owned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, withdrew from a planned Trump-branded …

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Bringing Albania into History: Bernd J. Fischer and World War II

By Ilir Ikonomi One of the most important modern works ever written about Albania’s experience in the Second World War—Bernd Jürgen Fischer’s Albania at War, 1939–1945. This is not just a history book. It is an act of historical rescue. Fischer lifts Albania from the shadows of European historiography and places …

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AKSHI Director Arrested in Major Corruption Probe

Case Involving Critical State Infrastructure Adds to Albania’s Growing High Level Corruption Crisis Tirana Times – December 16, 2025 Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure, SPAK, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, BKH, has carried out a large-scale operation targeting an alleged criminal network operating at the highest levels of the …

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Albanian Prosecution Urges Parliament to Allow Deputy PM’s Arrest

Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime asks parliament to lift the immunity from arrest of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. Original post Here

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Eight Accused in Albania of Rigging Information Agency Tenders

Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime raids a suspected crime group based at the National Information Agency, accused of running scheme to manipulate tenders. Original post Here

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Deputy PM Balluku Arrest Bid Shakes Albania’s Rule of Law

Will Parliament Lift the Deputy Prime Minister’s Immunity? Tirana Times, December 16th , 2025.Albania has entered one of the most serious institutional confrontations since the launch of its justice reform, as the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) formally requested parliamentary authorization to arrest Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and …

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Endrit Shabani Elected as Albania’s Ombudsman in Contested Process

New Ombudsman elected solely with the votes of the ruling majority – a break in tradition – after opposition MPS refused to participate in the vote. Original post Here

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Albania‘s Constitutional Court Temporarily Reinstates Deputy PM Balluku

Court temporarily restores Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku to her duties, after the government disputed a court order that had suspended her. Original post Here

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Budget 2026 – Big on Paper, Poor in Reality

By Nikola Kedhi On paper, Albania enters 2026 as a “success story”: the government speaks of GDP growth around 4%, low inflation, public debt at roughly 53% of GDP, and presents the 2026 Budget as a continuation of stability.In reality, Albania is an economy structurally dependent on construction where extraordinarily large …

News

Kremlin Echoes in Balkan Clickbait: How Fake Baba Vanga Prophecies Spread Across Albanian Media

TIRANA, Tirana Times, December 16, 2025. Each December, apocalyptic headlines resurface across Albanian media warning of global collapse, Europe’s disappearance or the rise of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a world ruler, all attributed to the supposed prophecies of Baba Vanga, a blind Bulgarian mystic who died nearly three decades ago. …

News

Serbia Loses Kushner Investment, Vučić Points to Albania

Albania’s Sazan Island project backed by Trump’s son-in-law draws scrutiny over transparency and political motives BELGRADE, Serbia, Tirana Times –  Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia has suffered a major economic setback after a company owned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, withdrew from a planned Trump-branded …

News

Bringing Albania into History: Bernd J. Fischer and World War II

By Ilir Ikonomi One of the most important modern works ever written about Albania’s experience in the Second World War—Bernd Jürgen Fischer’s Albania at War, 1939–1945. This is not just a history book. It is an act of historical rescue. Fischer lifts Albania from the shadows of European historiography and places …

News

AKSHI Director Arrested in Major Corruption Probe

Case Involving Critical State Infrastructure Adds to Albania’s Growing High Level Corruption Crisis Tirana Times – December 16, 2025 Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure, SPAK, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, BKH, has carried out a large-scale operation targeting an alleged criminal network operating at the highest levels of the …

News

Albanian Prosecution Urges Parliament to Allow Deputy PM’s Arrest

Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime asks parliament to lift the immunity from arrest of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. Original post Here

News

Eight Accused in Albania of Rigging Information Agency Tenders

Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime raids a suspected crime group based at the National Information Agency, accused of running scheme to manipulate tenders. Original post Here

News

Deputy PM Balluku Arrest Bid Shakes Albania’s Rule of Law

Will Parliament Lift the Deputy Prime Minister’s Immunity? Tirana Times, December 16th , 2025.Albania has entered one of the most serious institutional confrontations since the launch of its justice reform, as the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) formally requested parliamentary authorization to arrest Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and …

News

Endrit Shabani Elected as Albania’s Ombudsman in Contested Process

New Ombudsman elected solely with the votes of the ruling majority – a break in tradition – after opposition MPS refused to participate in the vote. Original post Here

News

Albania‘s Constitutional Court Temporarily Reinstates Deputy PM Balluku

Court temporarily restores Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku to her duties, after the government disputed a court order that had suspended her. Original post Here

News

Budget 2026 – Big on Paper, Poor in Reality

By Nikola Kedhi On paper, Albania enters 2026 as a “success story”: the government speaks of GDP growth around 4%, low inflation, public debt at roughly 53% of GDP, and presents the 2026 Budget as a continuation of stability.In reality, Albania is an economy structurally dependent on construction where extraordinarily large …