Student Protests: Albania’s Interreligious Council Calls for Dialogue, Peace and Listening to Young People
Albania’s religious leaders have issued a joint statement regarding the situation arising from student protests held across the country in recent days. In the statement, religious leaders called for peace, justice, responsibility and dialogue. The Interreligious Council stressed that young people must be heard and that institutions must provide responses …
Tirana Student Protests: 56 Arrested, 97 Others Face Criminal Proceedings
Tirana Police have issued an official statement regarding protesters detained during Thursday’s protests. According to police, 56 people have been arrested and criminal proceedings have been initiated against 97 others. In the statement, police said protesters had engaged in acts of violence, throwing stones, hard objects and pyrotechnic devices at …
Ilir Panda Takes Over as President of the Supreme Court as Sokol Sadushi Hands Over Office
Sokol Sadushi officially handed over his duties as President of the Supreme Court to Ilir Panda during a ceremony held this Friday in Tirana, in the Joint Chambers Hall. The ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges, legal advisers, and members of the court’s administrative staff. The handover marks the …
127 Arrested in Tirana, Public Order Director: Communication Channels Identified Calling for Terrorist Acts
The Director of the Department for Public Order and Security, Dhimitraq Ziu, said in a public statement on Friday that 127 people have so far been arrested in Tirana, while another 244 have been placed under investigation without being detained. The senior police official also stated that the Cybercrime Investigation …
Interior Minister Demo: 156 injured in four days of protests, urges parents not to let children be used in violence
Interior Minister Ervin Demo has once again responded to the protests and violent incidents reported over the past four days. In a statement, Demo provided an overview of the situation, revealing that 156 people had been injured, including 97 police officers, 45 protesters and 12 bystanders. The minister paid particular …
QSUT: 11 injured during protest, including 3 minors, 3 police officers and 2 bystanders
Tirana University Hospital Centre (QSUT) has updated its figures on the condition of those injured during the protest, as of 6:45 p.m. According to the statement, a total of 11 people have sought medical assistance, including protesters, minors, police officers and bystanders. Full statement: Update / Injuries during the October …
Albania PM Defiant as Protests Spread to Provincial Cities
After the capital endured a third night of violent clashes between student-led protesters and police, Edi Rama vowed not to bow to the demands for him to quit. Original post Here
Week in Review: Bad Deals and Scandals
Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week takes a look at salacious tales making unpleasant headlines, political deals being mooted and insiders spilling secrets. Original post Here
Albania’s construction sector grows 36% in four years, among Europe’s fastest expansions
Albania’s construction sector expanded rapidly between 2020 and 2024, ranking among Europe’s fastest-growing markets. The latest Eurostat data show that real construction activity rose by 36% over the four-year period. Eurostat measures construction’s gross value added in real terms, using comparable prices and 2020 as the base year. Albania’s index …
Albania beat Turkey 4-2 in second futsal friendly in Tirana
Albania’s national futsal team secured a 4-2 victory over Turkey in their second friendly match in Tirana, bouncing back after losing the opening encounter. Shqipron Brahimi opened the scoring for Albania, giving the home side an early boost. Ermir Kryeziu then delivered an impressive performance, scoring twice, while Qendrim Bakia …
Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic vowed to defeat the student protest movement, but lost in the end. Other movements across the region can learn lessons from the Serbian students about tactics and perseverance. Original post Here
Kosova Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu has begun an official visit to North Macedonia. Her counterpart, Assembly Speaker Afrim Gashi, welcomed her with a state ceremony. During her stay in Skopje, Haxhiu is expected to meet North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski. Her agenda also includes meetings …
The National Museum of Photography “Marubi” continues to host “Gjon Mili: Retrospective,” an exhibition celebrating the Albanian-American photographer who transformed motion photography and brought art and science into closer dialogue. Through bold experiments with light, movement and photographic techniques, Mili challenged traditional ways of seeing images. He captured fleeting moments …
The World Bank expects economic growth across the Western Balkans to accelerate in 2026 and strengthen further in 2027. Consumption and investment will support this growth. The region’s economies have remained resilient to shocks and continue to converge with the European Union. However, businesses need more efficient trade rules to …
Shaip Kamberi, an elected Albanian member of Serbia’s parliament, questioned whether the Student List would change its position on Kosova after the new government takes office. He said Serbian politicians continue to use the Kosova issue for political gain. He also argued that nationalist voters play a key role in …
Albanian National Olympic Committee (KOKSH) President Fidel Ylli attended the “European City of Sport” Gala as a special guest, representing ACES Europe in his capacity as honorary president for the Balkans. The ceremony took place at the Hall of Honour of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). In his address, …
Deputy Justice Minister Elona Hoxha outlined six proposed legal instruments to prevent violence during protests, property damage and threats to public order. Speaking to Vizion Plus, she said the package aims to protect citizens and institutions while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest. The proposed Criminal Code amendments would penalise …
Albania and Italy have extended their agreement on the mutual recognition and conversion of driving licences for another five years. Albania’s Council of Ministers has approved the amendment, which continues the arrangement through an exchange of notes. The agreement allows Albanian citizens living in Italy and Italian citizens living in …
Deputy Economy and Innovation Minister Enkelejd Musabelliu presented a bill on cross-border transformations, mergers and divisions of companies to the Parliamentary Committee on Europe and Foreign Affairs. The bill aims to align Albanian legislation with European Union rules under Chapter 6 on company law. The proposal transposes EU Directive 2019/2121 …
Construction of the new Bahçallëk Bridge continues at a rapid pace at the entrance to Shkodër. Prime Minister Edi Rama shared footage of the works today, highlighting the investment in modern infrastructure. The project aims to improve road safety and ease traffic entering and leaving the city. It will also …