Albania’s central bank raises key rate by 0.25%
TIRANA, March 23, 2023 – Albania’s central bank has raised its key interest rate by another quarter of a percentage point in its attempt to fight inflation, the Bank of Albania governor announced in a press conference. The decision of the bank board brings the rate to 3 percent, directly …
In Tirana visit, Kosovo PM discusses contentious deal with Serbia
TIRANA, March 27, 2023 – Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited Tirana over the weekend, holding discussions with Albania’s top leaders and focusing on his country’s ongoing dialogue with Serbia, which has been high on the agenda in recent months. Earlier this year, agreements to normalize relations between Kosovo and …
In widely-condemned violent attack on media, shots fired at key Albanian TV channel headquarters, killing guard
TIRANA, March 27, 2023 – In what the media and authorities are calling “a terrorist act,” unidentified gunmen used automatic weapons to shoot at the headquarters of one of Albania’s largest private television stations, Top Channel, shortly after midnight on Monday, killing a security guard on duty. The attack on …
Red and Blacks look for fresh start as Albania plays Poland for Euro 2024 qualifier
TIRANA, March 27, 2023 – Albania will begin their quest for a spot in the 2024 European Championship against Poland in Warsaw on Monday, hoping to break their seven-game losing streak against the hosts. The Red and Blacks will have their first match under Brazilian coach Sylvinho, who aims to …
Albania’s Mild Punishments for Electoral Crimes Undermine its Democracy
The few and minimal sentences handed down by the justice system for electoral corruption do little to discourage such violations, according to experts – and undermine the path towards democracy. Original post Here
Orderer of Shengjin explosive attack arrested after three Years
Lezha Police have arrested on Tuesday citizen Zef Kola, resident of Tirana, suspected of ordering the TNT explosion on the building that was being built by businessman Liman Gjoka in the “Rana e Hedhun” area of Shengjin, three years ago. After investigations carried out with special methods, this event was …
Ex-son-in-law of guard killed in TV shooting detained
Vlora Police has detained this Tuesday the ex-son-in-law of Pal Kola, the guard who was killed by Kalashnikov fire in the yard of Top Channel television shortly after Monday midnight. In front of the investigators, Roberto Papçi has denied having anything to do with the event. Along with the ex-son-in-law, …
Rama: Sports betting revenue will go to culture and tech
Prime Minister Edi Rama has underlined Tuesday that sports betting revenue will go to the projects and needs of sports federations, the culture sector, and various groups that are interested in cultural projects. In his speech, PM Rama underlined that there will be a new structure that will supervise this …
DP submits at CEC municipal council candidates’ list for May 14 polls
Democratic Party (DP) submitted this Tuesday, within the deadline set to the Central Elections Commission (CEC), the lists for members of municipal councils for several municipalities in the country. List of democrats in Tirana is headed by pedagogue Enriketa Pandelejmoni, followed by footballer Gentin Muça and pedagogue Iris Beleraj. Among …
Crime Ties Exposed in North Macedonia Medicinal Cannabis Boom
North Macedonia has actively promoted the development of a medicinal cannabis industry, but a BIRN investigation reveals the criminal ties behind at least some of those granted much-coveted licences. Original post Here
Remembering Janusz Bugajski: Scholar, Mentor, and Lifelong Friend of the Balkans Janusz Bugajski (1954–2025) The international academic and analytical community has lost one of its most lucid and principled voices. Janusz Bugajski, the distinguished American analyst of Eurasian and Balkan affairs, passed away on October 18, 2025, at the age …
Organised crime networks are using call centres in Albania to defraud people across Europe, conning them with promises of big profits from scam investments and employing sophisticated social-engineering techniques. Original post Here
The UK’s ambitious agenda for the London summit of the Berlin Process reflects its commitment to the Western Balkans region but also its own domestic priorities, starting with illegal migration. Original post Here
By Marjana Doda, This feature draws on exclusive insights from an interview with Ambassador Tayyar Kagan Atay, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Tirana. On the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of diplomatic relations, Ambassador Atay reflects on the unique depth of Albanian–Turkish ties—links shaped by shared history …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The courtroom killing of a judge in Tirana has prompted calls from Albanian judges and prosecutors for authorities to get serious about their ‘almost non-existent’ security. Original post Here
The Rama–Kurti clash over the war crimes tribunal highlights deeper structural tensions, from unimplemented agreements to competing regional agendas. The latest clash between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Kosovo’s Albin Kurti is more than another exchange of political insults. It reflects the fragile state of relations between Albania and …
Hundreds of protesters rallied in the Albanian capital on Friday demanding justice for former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) on trial in The Hague, denouncing the proceedings as an attack on the wartime struggle against Serbian forces. The demonstrators, many waving KLA flags and chanting slogans such as …
Protesters in the Albanian capital expressed anger at the ongoing trial of wartime Kosovo Liberation Army officers at the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, saying the defendants were freedom fighters, not criminals. Original post Here
By Bernd Fischer It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify yet another book dealing with some aspect of World War II. Of all the armed conflicts of past centuries, World War II has engendered the most interest as well as an exhausting amount of written material. The opening of the …