Blog
News

Police releases information on polling stations

State Police has underlined this Sunday that no problems have been encountered by the officers regarding the condition of polling stations and electoral materials. In an announcement, the law enforcement underlined that employees who vacated the polling stations premises have been relocated to the temporary police stations approved by the …

Read More
News

Premier’s first reaction as local polls kick off

Prime Minister Edi Rama has wished this Sunday all Albanian citizens to have a “beautiful” day as they head to polling stations to vote for the next Mayors and municipal councilors of their areas. Through a video published on social networks, the Head of Government shared a video depicting the …

Read More
News

President Begaj’s message after voting in Tirana

President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj has voted this Sunday at the “Congress of Lushnja” 9-year secondary school, which is serving as a polling station. After performing the biometric voting process as he was accompanied by his wife, President Begaj underlined that today is important for democracy in Albania. Furthermore, …

Read More
News

Over 530 polling stations not identifying voters electronically; CEC’s head

Head of the Central Elections Commission (CEC), Ilirjan Celibashi has informed Sunday that electronic identification of voters is not being carried out in at least 532 polling stations. In the first press conference related to the local elections, the Elections Commissioner stressed that there are 4469 polling stations that work …

Read More
News

Albania elections, Berisha: This is “Spring of Change”

Berisha has considered Election Day the “Spring of Change”, while inviting Albanians to vote. “A call from the heart to all Albanian citizens. To speak today with their vote for local government. All those who were invited by the vicious enemy of the free vote to stay at home should …

Read More
News

EU ambassador invites citizens to vote

Ambassador of the European Union in Albania, Christinane Hohmann, has chosen this Sunday Elbasan to observe close-up the local polls process for the election of this municipality’s Mayor. In her speech, Hohmann stated that so far the day is calm and asked the citizens to participate in the elections and …

Read More
News

Fushe-Kruja, unidentified person throw opposition commissioner out of polling center

An incident has been recorded this Sunday in the voting center 1302/1 in the city of Fushë-Kruja. According to the police, unidentified persons entered this polling center and removed the opposition commissioner, Ilir Hyka from the premises. The Police Services, immediately after receiving the notification, went to the Voting Center …

Read More
News

Albanians head to polls to elect mayors, municipal councils 

TIRANA, May 13, 2023 – Albania’s voters will head to polls Sunday to elect mayors and councils for the country’s 61 municipalities in the first competitive administrative elections in eight years. Two groupings have fielded the most mayoral candidates — the ruling Socialist Party of Albania (SPA) and the Together …

Read More
News

Athens Condemns Alleged Vote-Buying Arrest of Greek Politician in Albania

Police arrested Fredi Beleri, a Greek expatriate mayoral candidate in the southern Albanian municipality of Himara, on suspicion of vote-buying, sparking diplomatic protests from Athens. Original post Here

Read More
News

Albania, Greece spar over mayoral candidate’s arrest 

TIRANA, May 12, 2023 – Albanian police have arrested the opposition’s candidate for the mayor of Himara on charges of vote buying, leading to a spat between Greek and Albanian authorities over the ethnic Greek party representative’s detention two days before the Albanian municipal elections.  The arrested candidate, Fredi Beleri, …

Read More
News
Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News
Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

News
BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

News
Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

News
NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News
Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News
Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

News
Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

News
Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News
The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …

News

Week in Review: Boom and Bust

From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here

News

Battling Graft Charges, Tirana Mayor Stages Online Charm Offensive

When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here

News

BIRN Reality Check: Albanian Prosecutors Still Can’t Identify ‘Hazardous Waste’ Cargo

In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here

News

Expensive Lesson: Italy Weighs Costs of Offshore Migrant Centres in Albania

Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here

News

NATO Summit in The Hague Reaffirms Alliance Unity

Tirana announced as host city for 2027 NATO Summit The Hague, June 25, 2025 — NATO leaders convened today in The Hague for a pivotal summit that reaffirmed the Alliance’s unity amid intensifying global security threats and adopted a transformative new commitment to defense investment, resilience, and innovation. In a …

News

Activists Condemn Secret Migrant Deportations from Albania

Activists have condemned as “illegal” the deportation back to Egypt of five people from an Italian-run migrant holding camp in Albania. Original post Here

News

Albania Aligns Firmly with U.S. in Iran Standoff, Reflecting Decades-Long Strategic Alliance

June 23, 2025 – Tirana Albania has expressed unequivocal support for the United States following its militar.y strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, marking a rare moment of bipartisan consensus among the ruling Socialist majority and the opposition Democratic Party. Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Prime Minister …

News

Iran Hacks Tirana Municipality in Retaliation Over MEK

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania  20 June, 2025— A sophisticated Iranian cyber group has claimed responsibility for a major attack on the official website of Tirana Municipality, disabling online services and disrupting the city’s public registration system for kindergartens and nurseries, authorities confirmed Friday. The hacking group “Homeland Justice,” believed …

News

Week in Review: SLAPPs, Surveillance and Smuggling Networks

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more. Original post Here

News

The Israel – Iran conflict in our perspective

by Genc Pollo President of the Pan-Europe Albania   Former Minister and MP 18 June 2025 In the Albanian public debate on the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, a prevailing notion has been the contrast between Israel, a democracy where state power is under constitutional constraints and accountable to …