Albania to Honour Heroes Who Saved Jews from Holocaust
New museum will celebrate the Albanians who risked their lives to shield Jews from Nazi persecution – and whose story has remained largely untold. Original post Here
Faced with corruption and unpredictable tax system, top business associations demand comprehensive reforms
TIRANA, April 12, 2023 – Doing business in Albania is hard as the economic “environment is inefficient and requires significant improvement,” five chambers of commerce in Albania, including those representing American, German, French and Italian investors said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday. To attract more foreign investment, they …
Albania’s massive ICSID court loss has Tirana pondering exiting jurisdiction
TIRANA, April 11, 2023 – With Albania’s government losing its final appeal to reverse a €120-million penalty in the Francesco Becchetti affair case earlier this month, Tirana is mulling exiting the jurisdiction of the international arbitration court that issued the ruling, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama. The tribunal organized …
Politicians and Public Targeted in Online Intimidation Cases
BIRN’s latest three-month monitoring review of digital violations, covering the period from January to March, highlights how online targeting of politicians and government critics, as well as other forms of digital intimidation, have become significant issues of concern in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. Original post Here
Fresh Suspicions over Albania Airport after Turkish Partner Pulls Out
Environmentalists and the European Commission were already alarmed by Albanian plans to build an airport in a coastal region rich in biodiversity. Now one of the partners in the project has pulled out, taking its airport expertise with it. Original post Here
ODIHR starts monitoring mission for Albania’s May 14 administrative elections
TIRANA, March 8, 2023 – International observers of ODIHR, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, have started the mission of monitoring Albania’s local elections of May 14 with a press conference. The mission will be led by Ambassador Audry Glover, who has been in charge of international …
PM pitches large public sector wage increases, leading to concern over costs, political use
TIRANA, April 8 – Albania’s government is preparing to approve large wage increases in the public sector that could lead to the average salary going up 60 percent by 2024, Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced. According to the government, the new system of public sector wages will bring the …
Albanian PM Threatens to Quit International Arbitration Body
Premier Edi Rama reacted angrily to a decision by a World Bank-funded international arbitration body to grant around 110 million euros in compensation to an Italian businessman who claimed he was politically persecuted in Albania. Original post Here
Op/Ed: The Quad: Searching for purpose in yet another new regional constellation
By ALBA CELA Last week, the Foreign Affairs ministers of Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo launched the “Western Balkans Quad – 100% alignment with EU Common Foreign Security Policy” as a platform to address CFSP in the sensitive geopolitical context brought about by Russian aggression in Ukraine. All countries …
CEC introduces electronic platform on political parties’ funding monitoring
Central Elections Commission (CEC) has introduced Wednesday the Electronic Platform for Financial Reporting, which aims at strengthening the monitoring of the financing of political parties and the transparency of campaign funds. During the working table, the Head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi, said that this platform will contribute to efficient …
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 …