EU Keeps IPARD III Frozen Over Corruption and Abuse
Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have negotiated all accession chapters by 2027—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. A recent reaffirmation by the European Commission that €112 million in IPARD III agricultural development …
Unprotected, Women in Albania, Kosovo Face ‘Toxic Coexistence’ with Digital Abuse
Weak laws and institutional indifference mean women in Albania and Kosovo are largely unprotected against often devastating levels of gender-based digital violence. Original post Here
Albanian Drug Cartel Dismantled in EU Crackdown
Seizure of six tons of cocaine reveals how criminal profits are laundered into Albania’s booming construction sector. TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week asopposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against PrimeMinister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections …
Dirty Money Fuels Albania’s Construction Boom
Tirana, Albania – July 28, 2025 A sweeping European-led crackdown on a transnational Albanian drug cartel, culminating in the seizure of six tons of cocaine valued at over €400 million, has reignited concerns that Tirana’s high-rise construction boom is being bankrolled by illicit wealth from organized crime and corruption. The …
Opposition Alleges Vote Rigging via Building Permits
TIRANA, July 27, 2025 (Tirana Times) — Albania’s political crisis deepened this week as opposition leader Sali Berisha launched a sweeping series of accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, claiming the May 11 local elections were rigged through an elaborate vote-buying scheme involving 450 illegal construction permits awarded to criminal …
Albania’s New Pyramid: Towers, Dirty Money, and an Emptying NationBy Tirana Times
In 1997, Albania collapsed under the weight of fraudulent pyramid schemes that wiped out people’s life savings and nearly brought the state to its knees. Today, a different kind of pyramid is rising — this time, quite literally. All across Tirana and spreading to other cities and coasts, the country …
Italy’s Tirana-Cairo Deportation Flight Sets ‘Dangerous Precedent’
With the direct deportation of five Egyptians from Tirana to Cairo, rights groups and legal experts say Italy’s offshore migration strategy has taken an ominous turn. Original post Here
Week in Review: Opportunities and Setbacks
This week’s Balkan Insight Premium stories reflect the region’s ongoing push-and-pull between hopes of peace and the bitter weight of history. Original post Here
Week in Review: Failures and Flops
From Kosovo’s parliamentary stalemate to Montenegro’s rocky tourism season, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week sees several countries across the region failing to meet up to public needs. Original post Here
Airport Ordeal Sheds Light on Plight of Migrant Workers in Albania
Long hours, low pay and confiscated passports. Albania’s treatment of migrant workers bears all the hallmarks of modern slavery, experts say. Original post Here
TIRANA, August 18 – Around 2,000 hectares of farmland in Vrina, Saranda are gaining better protection from flooding, erosion and saltwater intrusion. The work covers the rehabilitation of the K-17 canal embankment and the irrigation and drainage system. Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Andis Salla visited the investment site in …
TIRANA, August 18 – Acting President of Kosova Albulena Haxhiu said the country could face new elections. She linked this possibility to the lack of an agreement on the next president. Haxhiu said political leaders should discuss specific names for a consensus candidate. She added that acting Prime Minister Albin …
TIRANA, August 18 – British newspaper The Sun has highlighted Albania as one of Europe’s fastest-growing holiday destinations. The article cites Thomas Cook data showing a 293% increase in bookings for Albania compared with a year earlier. The Sun points to Albania’s beaches, affordable summer holidays and capital Tirana. It …
TIRANA, August 18 – Italian tourists continue to arrive at the Port of Vlora in large numbers in late August. Many others are returning home after spending their holidays on Albania’s beaches and in its cities. Albanians living abroad are also arriving for their holidays. As a result, Vlora continues …
Albania continues to attract foreign tourists. Visitors particularly praise its hospitality, cuisine and coastline. Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu shared today the views of several foreign tourists who chose Vlora for their holidays. “For the first time in Vlora, and certainly not the last, new friends of Albania are coming …
Berat’s rich historical and cultural heritage continues to attract more visitors. The city of a thousand windows remains one of Albania’s leading cultural tourism destinations. Data from the first seven months of 2026 show growing interest in the “Onufri” Iconographic Museum and the Ethnographic Museum. Miklor Pasku, director of the …
TIRANA, August 18 – Large wildfires have affected Albania and several other European countries. The fires have claimed lives and damaged homes, ecosystems, farmland, infrastructure, cultural heritage and local economies. The European Union Delegation in Tirana said Europe remains united in response to the fires. It stressed that no country …
Gjirokastër continues to inspire young generations with its distinctive houses, architecture and rich cultural heritage. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Blendi Gonxhja shared a video featuring young artist Ajden Nora. He highlighted how young people are keeping Albania’s cultural heritage alive through music and art. “When tradition finds the …
TIRANA, August 18 – Tourist numbers in Shkodër region have risen significantly this summer. The increase has created new challenges for local institutions. Authorities are focusing on visitor safety and service quality. For the Regional Administration of Protected Areas in Shkodër, visitor safety remains a key concern. The focus has …
TIRANA, August 18 – Authorities continue to monitor a wildfire in the Fushë-Laja area of Puka Municipality, in the forests of Mount Tërbun. The Puka Fire Protection and Rescue Service and forestry service have worked at the site for several days. Local service employees, residents, volunteers and personnel from the …