Albanian Banks Brace for Rising Bad Loans
Tirana Times, January 15, 2026 – Albania’s banking sector enters 2026 with growing caution, as banks operating in the country anticipate an increase in non performing loans despite strong demand for credit. According to the latest CESEE Banking Lending Survey conducted by the European Investment Bank for the second half …
Trump Visa Freeze Sparks Blame Game in Albania
After the US paused visa processing for 75 countries, including Albania, the opposition in Tirana has accused the government of getting the country put on Trump’s “blacklist”. Original post Here
U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations
Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …
Washington suspends visas for Albania
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Prime Minister Edi Rama arrived in Vlora on Monday afternoon. Mayor Brunilda Mersini welcomed him to the city. Rama first visited “Aulona” Park along the city’s main boulevard. Accompanied by Mersini, he inspected the former park area, which authorities plan to transform into a green and recreational public space. During …
The Academy of Sciences of Albania commemorated academician Aleks Buda on the anniversary of his birth. It honored him as one of the most distinguished figures in Albanian historiography and academic life. Aleks Buda was born on September 7, 1911, into a noble and patriotic family in Elbasan. His father, …
Deputy Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Klodiana Spahiu, who has also been nominated as Minister of Health and Social Welfare, met today with Ambassador Paolo Zampolli, US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy and the US government’s Special Representative for Global Partnerships. Spahiu and Zampolli discussed the strong relations between Albania …
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha met today with Paolo Zampolli, the United States Special Envoy for Global Partnerships. The meeting focused on ways to deepen the strategic partnership between Albania and the United States. The two sides paid particular attention to expanding economic cooperation, increasing trade and …
US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Global Partnerships in the Balkans, Paolo Zampolli, said Monday that the Albanian people should decide whether to establish a sovereign Bektashi state in Tirana. During his visit to Albania, Zampolli met with representatives of the Bektashi community and Albanian political leaders. He also …
Socialist Party Parliamentary Group Chairman Taulant Balla met today with US President Donald J. Trump’s Special Envoy for Global Partnerships, Ambassador Paolo Zampolli, at the Albanian Parliament. During the meeting, Balla and Zampolli discussed the strong relationship between Albania and the United States. They also exchanged views on regional and …
Prime Minister Edi Rama shared today an excerpt from his interview with journalist Rudina Xhunga, who held an extensive conversation with the prime minister on her “Flasim Shqip” podcast. In a video posted on social media, Rama shared part of his story about his school years. He recalled an experience …
For the 16th consecutive Saturday, Albanian activists living in Lombardy gathered in central Milan carrying red-and-black flags and banners bearing the slogan “Albania Is Not for Sale.” The protest is part of the so-called “Flamingo Revolution,” a movement launched in Albania on May 23 against the construction of a luxury …
The Chair of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla, today received Ambassador Paolo Zampolli, Special Envoy of United States President Donald J. Trump for Global Partnerships, at the Presidency of the Albanian Parliament. Balla said that during the meeting, the two sides discussed the excellent relations between Albania and …
20.1% of Albania’s population is under the age of 18. This means that around one in five residents of the country belongs to this age group. Compared with other countries in the region, Albania is in a relatively favorable position. Montenegro leads with 21.8% of its population under the age …