Week in Review: Faint Hopes and No Regrets
In a world that increasingly finds itself turned upside down, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week tries to make sense of the past, present and future. Original post Here
“The EU is a blessing for us,” Rama: Europe is too slow, it must speed up
Prime Minister Edi Rama presented 13 of his drawings at the premises of the Embassy of Italy in Berlin, as part of an event linked to his personal exhibition “Chrysalizing”, currently being held at Société Gallery. The exhibition also includes sculptures created by Rama, who has long been known for …
Democratic Party launches statute reform, amendment calendar approved
At a meeting held this Friday, the Working Group for amendments to the Statute of the Democratic Party of Albaniaapproved both the working methodology and a detailed calendar for the process of reviewing the party’s founding document. According to the decision taken, the process will extend throughout the month of …
May 1 protest in Albania, workers: Urgently approve a living minimum wage
International Workers’ Day was marked in Albania with a protest organized by the Union of Trade Unions of Albania in front of the Ministry of Economy of Albania. Participants held banners reading “A worker’s life is not a business cost” and “Wages to live, not to survive,” calling for better …
Salianji: Democratic Party cannot continue like this, leadership change is required
Former DP MP Ervin Salianji has reacted to the latest developments in the race for the leadership of the Democratic Party, expressing criticism over how the party is being managed under Sali Berisha. In a Facebook post, Salianji writes that Berisha shows a lack of responsibility, which could lead to …
50 parachutists from Italy open the tourist season at the city’s aerodrome
A group of 50 parachutists from Italy have opened this year’s tourist season at the Gjirokastër aerodrome. The Italian parachutists performed jumps from an aircraft at an altitude of 3,000 meters, putting on a real spectacle for air sports enthusiasts. The activity was organized as a collaboration between Skydive Albania …
Albania, the country with the highest risk of poverty in Europe
Albania remains the country with the highest risk of poverty in Europe. Despite efforts to develop the economy and increase income per capita, more than 40% of households in the country are deprived of several essential payments. In Albania, 44.5% of households with children and 37% of households without children …
Over 26,000 fines and 48 arrests in one week, Police intensify road checks
With the increase in travel flows toward tourist and coastal areas, the Albanian State Police has stepped up controls across the country, using radars and drones to monitor road traffic. During the past week, more than 26,000 administrative measures were imposed for various traffic violations, ranging from not wearing seat …
Over 1 million vehicles registered in Albania, 35% circulating in Tirana
The road vehicle market in Albania continues to expand steadily at the beginning of 2026, with the highest concentration in Tirana. According to data from INSTAT for the first quarter of 2026, the total number of road vehicles in circulation reached 1,068,000, marking a 9% increase compared to the same …
Employment rises in Albania, but young people remain economically insecure
Albania has recorded an increase in employment, creating more jobs than a decade ago. However, many of these positions remain seasonal, insecure, and poorly paid, failing to keep pace with rising prices. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, around 13,800 new jobs were created, while the unemployment rate fell …
TIRANA, May 17 – Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 late Saturday night in Vienna, after securing strong support from national juries across Europe. Albania, represented by Alis Kallaçi with the song “Nân”, finished in 13th place in the Grand Final. The Eurovision 2026 final took place at the …
TIRANA, May 16 – British daily The Times highlights Albania among emerging Mediterranean tourism destinations this summer. The newspaper says travellers increasingly search for more affordable holiday destinations across the Mediterranean region. It adds that demand for holidays in Italy, Spain and Greece has increased this year. However, the report …
TIRANA, May 16 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Grand Final takes place tonight at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle, where Albania will perform fifth among 25 competing countries. Albania’s representative Alis Kallaçi will take the stage with Nân after Denmark, Germany, Israel and Belgium open the show. In recent hours, the …
TIRANA, May 16 – Albanian singer Alis Kallaçi sent a video message from Vienna to the RTSH1 programme “Në Kohë Reale” [In Real Time] after qualifying for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final. He thanked supporters and said the competition had not ended yet. Alis invited viewers to vote for …
TIRANA, May 16 – Europe’s attention turns to Vienna this Saturday as the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 grand final takes place at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Austria. Albania will perform fifth among the 25 competing countries with singer Alis Kallaçi and the song “Nân” [Mother]. Alis qualified for the …
Silvio Gonzato met with Albania’s Prosecutor General Olsian Çela to discuss stronger institutional cooperation in delivering justice and fighting crime. During the meeting, the parties reaffirmed support for Albania’s prosecution system at all levels. They also highlighted assistance for the Case Management System. Moreover, both sides agreed that justice and …
Albana Koçiu attended the UN80 initiative conference and highlighted the importance of reforming and modernizing the United Nations system. First, Koçiu said global challenges require stronger international cooperation. Therefore, she stressed that reforms within the UN are essential for supporting Albania’s European aspirations. Moreover, Koçiu reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to stronger …
Edi Rama said U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Europe to recognize its weaknesses and rethink its future security strategy. He made the remarks during the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia. First, Rama argued that Europe should take Trump seriously, even if not every statement should be interpreted literally. According to …
Edi Rama warned that Europe risks weakening its economic priorities if security concerns dominate political decision-making. He delivered the remarks during the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia. First, Rama reaffirmed Albania’s strong commitment to NATO. He described Albanians as “Western Taliban,” explaining that Albania remains fully loyal to the transatlantic …
Representatives of the diplomatic corps and senior Albanian government officials gathered in Tirana to discuss how United Nations reform can deliver concrete improvements at the national level. During the discussions, participants highlighted the important role of the UN both globally and in Albania. Moreover, Silvio Gonzato stressed that the European …