Week in Review: The Wheel of Fortune
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
Parliament Blocks Balluku Arrest and Puts Justice on Trial
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 …
UN Report Spotlights Mistreatment During Childbirth in Western Balkans
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
Albanian Parliament Votes Against Lifting Former Deputy PM’s Immunity
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
Letter from Brussels: Is a Hopeful Breeze Blowing Through the EU’s ‘Waiting Room’?
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
Albania’s TikTok Ban Violated Free Expression, Court Rules
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
Albanian Parliament Under Cyberattack Linked to Iran
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 …
Belinda Balluku: Albanian PM’s Loyal Ally at Centre of Political Firestorm
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
Parliament Blocks Arrest Bid for Former Deputy Prime Minister Balluku
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 …
Albanian Ruling Party Refuses to Support Lifting of Former Deputy PM’s Immunity
Ahead of a vote in parliament on Thursday, the ruling Socialists reject a prosecution request to support lifting the immunity of dismissed former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, allowing for her arrest. Original post Here
TIRANA, September 4 – Six years have passed since Kosova and Serbia signed the Washington Agreement, mediated by the United States. On September 4, 2020, then-Kosova Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed commitments on economic normalisation at the White House. Then-US President Donald Trump attended the …
TIRANA, September 4 – Work on the Elbasan–Rrogozhina road, part of Trans-European Corridor VIII, has reached 87% across the first six phases of the project. Asphalt work is currently underway along around 15 kilometres of the route. The Albanian Road Authority said crews are laying asphalt across the segment. In …
TIRANA, September 4 – Authorities will impose no traffic restrictions on trucks weighing more than 20 tonnes on Friday, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The ministry said the latest official temperature forecast does not meet the conditions for temporary restrictions on heavy goods vehicles. Authorities introduce these …
TIRANA, September 4 – Import prices fell by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Institute of Statistics. The decline reflected lower prices for electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning, which fell by 2.2%. Extractive industry prices dropped by …
TIRANA, September 4 – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha took part in an informal meeting of European affairs ministers in Dublin, organised by Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During a session on EU enlargement, reform support and administrative capacity, Hoxha presented Albania’s experience …
TIRANA, September 4 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said open government should not be taken for granted as the Open Government Partnership marks 15 years since its founding. The Agency for Media and Information published Rama’s video message for the anniversary. Albania joined the partnership in 2011. Rama said it …
TIRANA, September 4 – A large fire has engulfed olive groves and scrubland in Radostinë, Fier. The fire remains active. Flames have reached the area of two businesses in Qafa e Koshovicës, east of Radostinë. Several nearby families have evacuated after dense smoke covered their homes. The fire and heavy …
TIRANA, September 4 – Albania will experience stable weather conditions on Friday, according to the Military Meteorological Service. The weather will alternate between clear spells and occasional moderate cloud cover, mainly over hilly and mountainous areas. Meanwhile, winds will blow from the northeast to northwest at an average speed of …
TIRANA, September 4 – Ksamil has been named Europe’s best coastal destination by US travel media outlet “Travel Off Path”. Journalist Trevor Kucheran ranked it first among five European coastal destinations recommended by travel experts. The article highlights Ksamil’s exceptionally clear waters and white-pebble beaches. It also points to the …
TIRANA, September 4 – Tirana International Airport handled 6 million passengers in the first six months of 2026. Prime Minister Edi Rama said the figure puts the airport ahead of others in the region. According to Rama, passenger traffic increased by 17% compared with the same period in 2025. He …