RSF Report: Media Freedom Tumbling in Most Balkan Countries
Press freedom has continued a downward slide in most Balkan countries according to the latest report by Reporters Without Borders – although Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have bucked the trend. Original post Here
The EU Court’s Verdict on Golden Passports: Implications for Albania
Genc Pollo – President of the Paneuropa Albania MovementFormer Minister and MP April 2025 “Whatever the European Court decides—if it says it can’t be done, we won’t do it; if it says it can, we will.” This was, roughly speaking, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s stance in March 2023, expressed at …
Corridor VIII – the Forgotten Lifeline of the Balkans
An in-depth investigation into the EU-backed trans-Balkan transport project that remains stalled decades after its launch. Over two decades ago, European planners and Balkan leaders laid out the idea off Corridor VIII, a transport route that would traverse and link the difficult-to-navigate terrains of Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Its …
Italy Queried Over Fate of 16 ‘Missing’ Migrants Outsourced to Albania
Opposition MP demands answers after a visit to the Italian-run Repatriation and Detention Centre in Albania revealed that 16 out of 41 migrants sent there two weeks ago had gone. Original post Here
Surveillance and Censorship Worsening in Western Balkans: BIRN Report
New report shows governments in the region increasingly use technology to suppress dissent, filter content, restrict access to digital platforms and carry out mass and targeted surveillance. Original post Here
In a depopulating Albania, why is the PM campaigning on a promise to make it easier for young people to leave?
If Rama wants to be the prime minister who ushers Albania into the European Union, he must first be the leader who makes Albania worth staying in. It means building a country where the EU passport is a gateway — not an escape route. Because freedom is not just the …
Call to Arms for the ‘Next Generation’
Albania is in a precarious situation at the moment. We are faced with a prevailing cultural acceptance of complacency and corruption. This reality had periodically made itself known to me during my summer trips back to Albania. Truthfully, however, this had no bearing on my life back then. I was …
Is AI worsening the mental health crisis in journalism?
Mental health remains a relatively under-discussed issue for those working in journalism, a profession that is often precarious for many. AI has now been added to this situation. Instability and precariousness, low salaries, the “obligation to stay connected” and the pressure to keep up the pace: these are the factors …
Newsanalysis: Kosovo Parliament Fails Again to Elect Speaker, Highlighting Deepening Partisan Divides and Institutional Fragility
Tirana, Tirana Times, April 27 — Kosovo’s political deadlock deepened further on Sunday as the Parliament failed once again to elect a Speaker and officially constitute the Assembly, despite seven attempts. The candidate proposed by the winning party, Vetëvendosje (VV), acting Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu, did not secure enough votes, …
Elmar Brok: Berisha calls for liberation – Rama’s power crumbles
A new chapter is dawning in Albania. For the first time in years, Edi Rama’s iron-fisted ruleis beginning to totter. The country is facing a historic decision: Freedom or downfall. And inthe midst of this moment, an old fighter rises up – Sali Berisha, the symbol of Albania’s firstliberation, is …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Tirana Times, January 26, 2026 – Albania’s attempted entry into the Peace Board has become a revealing episode, not because of the significance of the initiative itself, but because of the way Albania’s leadership chose to stage and communicate it domestically. The Peace Board represents a new and ambitious international …
Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania has joined the Peace Board, a newly established international mechanism initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at overseeing peace agreements and post-conflict stabilization efforts, with an initial focus on the Gaza Strip. The Peace Board was formally launched during the World Economic …
The crisis deepens as the government shields Deputy PM Balluku and a criminal network emerges in AKSHI Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania’s main opposition party returned to the streets on Saturday with a second national protest against Prime Minister Edi Rama, challenging the legitimacy of his fourth term …
Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here
Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here