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, …
A new cyberattack by Iran-linked Homeland Justice group targeting Albania’s parliament revealed the continued vulnerability of state digital systems and failures to implement basic security measures. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the changing fortunes, power dynamics and neighbourly relations of countries and actors in South-east Europe. Original post Here
TIRANA, March 12, 2026 – Albania’s Parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party, has refused to authorize the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, blocking a request by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, and triggering one of the gravest confrontations yet between …
Survey of women who gave birth recently reveals a “pervasive yet often hidden crisis of obstetric violence” and a widespread dissatisfaction with medical care. Original post Here
Ruling Socialist Party uses its majority in parliament to vote down a prosecution request to lift former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s immunity, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here
Brussels has already gone cold on a scheme to allow some aspirant countries like Albania and Serbia second-tier membership – but that doesn’t mean that other creative approaches to European enlargement are off the table. Original post Here
Journalists’ union welcomes ruling that says government-imposed one-year ban on social media platform was a ‘violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press’. Original post Here
Tirana Times, March 10, 2026 – A cyberattack targeting Albania’s Parliament has revived one of the country’s most serious national security concerns, underscoring the return of a threat that Albanian institutions have come to associate with Iran linked retaliation. The breach, confirmed by Parliament on Tuesday, involved unauthorized access to …
The criminal charges facing former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku have dominated headlines in Albania for months – prompting her boss, Edi Rama, to pick a fight with the judiciary. Original post Here
Shielding Balluku Could Cost Albania More Than a Court Case. Tirana Times, March 09, 2026 – Albania’s ruling Socialist majority moved Monday to block the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, in a decision expected to be ratified by parliament this week and one that is rapidly becoming …