Deadlock hits Albanian parliament as PM avoids McGonigal affair questions
TIRANA, Feb. 2, 2023 – Albanian opposition MPs tried to block parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, vowing to set up an investigative commission, after Prime Minister Edi Rama decided to skip a questions period regarding Mr. Rama’s ties to a former high FBI official who has been arrested in the United …
Albania Opposition Demands Inquiry Into ‘Bribed’ Former FBI Official
Opposition MPs want a parliamentary investigative committee to prope claims that PM Edi Rama had a former FBI official Charles McGonigal in his pocket, and used him to smear the opposition. Original post Here
“McGonigal” in Parliament, Rama interpellation with Alibeaj on the case of FBI official
Today, there are expected to be debates in the Assembly, where the main issue is expected to be the file of the former FBI official, Charles McGonigal, and the accusations raised by the opposition against Prime Minister Edi Rama. The head of the DP Group, Enkelejd Alibeaj, has requested an …
1 dead, at least 2 critically injured after car accident in Tirana
A person is dead and at least two others are critically injured after a car accident in Tirana this Thursday morning. Police officers were notified of a reported two car head-on crash in an area commonly known as the entrance of the capital. The accident happened on “Kastriotët” street near …
Tirana taxi drivers prosecuted for concealing income
Authorities have taken legal action this Thursday against three cab drivers, who had concealed their income from transporting people with their vehicles. Following police findings, the Prosecutor’s Office started criminal proceedings against the drivers of these vehicles, specifically for the citizens, Sh. A., R. Ç. and Sh. L., for the …
McGonigal Case, democrat refuses interpellation with Minister Spiropali
Democrat MP Gazment Bardhi refused this Thursday the interpellation with Minister Elisa Spiropali, requesting the presence of Prime Minister Edi Rama for the case of former FBI official, Charles McGonigal. In his speech, Bardhi said that he requested an interview with the head of the government and not with his …
PM attacks opposition after McGonigal issue tensions
Prime Minister Edi Rama has harshly assailed this Thursday the opposition’s MPs, who wanted to hold an interpellation with him in the plenary session regarding the McGonigal scandal. In a social media reaction, the head of government accused them of abusing the freedom of speech, the truth and of committing …
Bucking int’l trend, Albania’s central bank keeps key rate unchanged
TIRANA, Feb. 1, 2023 – Bank of Albania’s Supervisory Council announced Wednesday it would keep the central bank’s key interest rate unchanged at 2.75 percent. It’s the second time in a row the central bank keeps the rate unchanged, bucking the trends of major central banks in Europe and North …
Woman dies 4 days after giving birth to her Baby
A 29-year-old woman died in Tirana, 4 days after giving birth to her baby. The young woman, whose identity is still unknown, gave birth to a child of about 5 kilograms by natural birth and after 24 hours of stay in the hospital she went home. But she started having …
Japan donates firefighting equipment to Tirana
Two new fire engines were added to the new fire station in Kinostudio, as a help from the Embassy of Japan in Tirana. Mayor Erion Veliaj said that the new equipement will greatly serve the Unit 4 Fire Station, as it also covers the suburban and rural areas of the …
By Daniel Serwer Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – While all eyes are on the Iran war, subtle but important changes are taking place with respect to the Balkans. I think the two most important are these: The Trump Administration is abandoning state-building and instead wants local people to make the basic …
By Zef Preci Tirana Times, March 06, 2026 – Two centuries ago, Karl Marx offered a blunt description of how capitalism is sometimes born and consolidated: through what he called “primitive accumulation,” a historical process—often violent—by which people are separated from their land and productive assets, while wealth is concentrated …
From European Union accession hopes to ongoing corruption investigations, our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the political wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes in the region. Original post Here
by Genc Pollo Let’s start with the dog. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly,” says the Old Testament (Proverbs 26:11), offering a blunt metaphor for stupidity and the stubborn repetition of mistakes. That proverbial dog may be the right analogy for Prime Minister Edi …
By Augustin Palokaj Tirana Times, March 03 2026 – EU enlargement does not lack ideas; it lacks political will. That is why the recent joint opinion piece by Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, published in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, is troubling not so …
Do you live in the Balkans or France, and have you been awarded child support payments after divorce? Was the process easy – and did you receive the money as the court ordered? Original post Here
by Dr. Arben Ramkaj Tirana Times, February 28 2026 – At the very moment when diplomacy appeared to be moving toward a fragile agreement, the United States and Israel launched a unilateral strike against Iran, shifting the region from tense negotiations to open confrontation. The targets included strategic infrastructure and …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Some Balkan countries are planning to evacuate stranded citizens from the conflict zone around Iran, others have already managed to fly people out – although some have only issued security warnings. Original post Here
For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana. Original post Here