Arrest warrant for Bulqiza’s mayor on corruption charges
Mayor of Bulqiza, Lefter Alla will be remanded into police custody, as he is accused of corruption and abuse of public tenders. Arrest warrant has been issued by the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bulqiza have conducted …
Albanian Opposition Faces Obstacle to Entering Local Election Race
The official opposition Democratic Party has been blocked from running in the May local elections over a legal technicality – which can only help Prime Minister Edi Rama’s governing Socialists. Original post Here
Vjosa officially National Park/Rama: We will protect forever the wildest river in Europe
The Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Minister of Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro are in Tepelena, where they are participating in an activity for the presentation of the Vjosa River as a National Park. During his speech, the head of government described the declaration of Vjosa as a National Park as …
Albania commemorates Gerdec blast victims
Albania commemorates this Wednesday 15 years since the tragedy of Gerdec, where 26 people lost their lives and more than 300 others were injured after a powerful explosion in a warehouse for the dismantling of ammunition. As a result of this explosion, hundreds of houses around the area in Gerdec …
Meeting of the Association and Stabilization Council, Borrell and Varhelyi in Tirana
The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, will visit Tirana today. The visit will last two days, March 15 and 16. After Tirana, Skopje will be the next stop for Borrell and commissioner Várhelyi. Initially, Borrell is expected …
New temporary SPAK prosecutor appointed
Olsi Dado has been appointed this Wednesday as a temporary prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). This was confirmed by the High Prosecutorial Council (HPC), as Dado has been ordered at the request of the head of SPAK, Altin Dumani for work needs. In …
Arrested RENEA officer involved in heroin trafficking
New details have come to light this Wednesday regarding the arrest of RENEA operative Altin Morina, who yesterday was caught in his car with 113,000 EUR, 290,000 new ALL and 80 GBP. Morina is suspected of being involved in the trafficking of heroin and cocaine, with criminal groups in Tirana, …
Albania’s ‘Wild River’ Vjosa Declared a National Park
After years of campaigning by environmentalists, Albania’s Culture Minister Mirela Kumbaro declared that the free-flowing River Vjosa and the land around it are now a national park and protected by law. Original post Here
Manastirliu at the UN: Albania advances in digital services and towards improving the status of women in society
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu, is participating in the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women that is conducting its work at the United Nations Organization in New York. During her speech at the UN, Minister Manastirliu emphasized the progress that Albania has …
President’s message for summer day
President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj has congratulated this Tuesday the Albanian citizens on Summer Day. Through the social networks, Begaj wished that the season, with its colors and warmth, will be a source of renewal for every Albanian! “Happy summer day! I wish that the season, with its colors …
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 …