Kosovo Government proposes 2019 budget
Kosovo Budget 2019 will be 2.3 billion euro which is expected to be highest ever for Kosovo. This was stated by Minister of Finances, Bedri Hamza, during Government’s meeting on Friday. Original post Here
Kosovo President, Government vow not to discuss change of border with Serbia
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dardan Gashi, says the Government and President’s Office have agreed on Thursday not to talk on borders with Serbia delegation during the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels. Gashi said the accord was reached during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj and the President Hashim Thaci. …
Haradinaj in Montenegro: Redrawing borders in Balkans caused tragedies
Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, during his visit to Montenegro met his counterpart Dusko Markovic and the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, to discuss recent political developments in Kosovo, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Ex-KLA commander convicted of war crimes granted conditional release
Kosovo’s Supreme Court has granted conditional release to former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander, Jahir Demaku, who is convicted of mistreating civillians during the war in Kosovo in 1998-99. The Conditional Release Panel within the Supreme Court has rejected the request for conditional release of the other war crimes convict …
Kosovo expects visa liberalisation by year’s end, says EU Minister
Kosovo Minister of the European Integration, Dhurata Hoxha, who on Thursday attended the debate “association of the European Parliaments” in Strasbourg, asked the EU members to liberalise visas for Kosovo citizens by the end of this year, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
European Investors Council condemns Thaci’s attack against insurance company director
The European Investors Council (EIC) has reacted after the physical attack against the director of private insurance company “Illyria”, Gianni Sokolic. Original post Here
Kosovo man found guilty of war crimes against Albanians
The Basic Court in Pristina on Thursday found Skender Bislimi guilty of war crimes against Albanians civilians and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Original post Here
Kosovo President’s brother involved in fight
Gani Thaci, the brother of Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci, has on Wednesday physically assaulted the director of the Kosovo Insurance Bureau (KIB), Blerim Pushkolli, as well as the director of the insurance company “Illyria”, Slovenian citizen Gianni Sokolic. Original post Here
Montenegro officially joins NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo
Montenegro has on Tuesday joined the KFOR mission in Kosovo as the 29th troop contributing nation, which is the longest peacekeeping mission in NATO history. Original post Here
Austrian President lobbying for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation by the end of year
Austrian President, Alexander Van der Bellen, was hosted on Tuesday by his Albanian Counterpart, Ilir Meta, Gazeta Express reports. During the meeting the two presidents discussed visa liberalisation for Kosovo. The Austrian President said that visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens should happen as soon as possible. Original post Here
Albania’s choice now will signal whether it is converging with that standard or drifting toward a system where, as Orwell warned, all are equal, but some remain more equal than others. Tirana Times, 09 February 2026 – The European Union has publicly urged the Albanian Parliament to address without delay …
By Zef Preçi Tirana Times, 09 February 2026 – The campaign that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party appears to be preparing against the Special Anti Corruption Structure (SPAK) raises serious concerns not only about the future of the rule of law in the country but also about the credibility of Albania’s …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
By Vladimir Karaj Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – In early December, a Croatian satirical outlet published a humorous article claiming that Albania’s AI minister had been arrested after allegedly accepting a bribe worth 14 bitcoins. The satire quickly went viral online, but it was subsequently misinterpreted as factual information …
Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – The Kurum waste file has exposed one of the most serious environmental and governance scandals in Albania in recent years, revealing not only the illegal export of hazardous waste but also the disappearance of tens of thousands of tons of industrial byproducts inside the …
by Agron Vrangalla Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – Moscow systematically uses information manipulation as an instrument of foreign policy. In North Macedonia, Russian propaganda relies on several recurring narratives that exploit domestic political tensions and social vulnerabilities. The impact of Russian propaganda in the Western Balkans is neither new …
Parliament now expected to lift immunity. Tirana Times, 08 February 2026 – The Constitutional Court’s decision to leave in force the suspension of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Belinda Balluku has reopened a deep institutional conflict in Albania, sharpening tensions between the executive, the judiciary, and Parliament, while placing …
A Canadian on the run in Bosnia, an Albanian’s controversial jaunt to Israel and a Brit looking to the Balkans for possible salvation – this week’s selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories has an international flavour. Original post Here
During last week’s visit to Israel, Albania’s Prime Minister used a private jet once owned by Sam Bankman Fried, now-jailed owner of crypto exchange FTX – but it’s unclear who footed the bill. Original post Here
The suspects are among 33 people accused of involvement in shipping a cargo of dangerous industrial waste from Albania to Thailand. Original post Here