BIRN Reality Check: Pollution Continues Unabated in Albania’s Oldest Oilfield
BIRN reported in 2022 on the scourge of pollution in the area of Albania’s oldest oilfield. A subsequent inspection resulted in a 10,000-euro fine for the culprit, but the leaks continue. Original post Here
Tirana’s ‘Heat Island’ Moment
It’s late July 2024 in Albania. An ever-present heat weighs down the air around you. Summers always get hot, but this time, it feels more draining than before. You’ve cranked the AC in your house, so the inside is safe. One step through those doors, however, and you’re right back …
Digital Rights Worsened in Central, Southeast Europe in 2024: BIRN Report
From Budapest to Ankara, online freedoms are being compromised by government legislation, emerging technologies and tech giant algorithms, says BIRN’s new annual report on digital rights violations in Central and Southeast Europe. Original post Here
Illicit Finance: Western Balkans Must Act to Clean Up Dirty Money Problems
National laws may be compliant with international standards but weak oversight, corruption and cash economies hamper an effective battle against money-laundering, says the author of a new report on illicit finance in the Western Balkans. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: December 2, 2024
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Albanians ‘Deliberately Forgetting’ Horrors of Communist Past, Writer Says
In his new book, political scientist Ermal Hasimja says Albanians have deliberately decided to ‘forget’ the criminal nature of the country’s former communist regime, as a kind of defence mechanism. Original post Here
Freed Albanian Opposition Leader Demands New Govt Ahead of Elections
After being freed from house arrest, the opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha demanded the formation of a new ‘technical’ caretaker government to steer the country ahead of 2025 elections. Original post Here
Robert Budina: Filmmaker Whose Risky Escape from Albania Shaped His Work
The son of an army general in communist Albania, Robert Budina was part of the student protests that helped bring down the regime, only to flee to Italy on an overcrowded boat. The experience has informed his work ever since. Original post Here
Albania Drug Trafficking Probe Targets Top Policeman, Ex-Judge, Journalists
Prosecutors are investigating an Elbasan-based organised crime group that trafficked drugs from Latin America and whose suspected members and associates include a former judge, a senior police official and two journalists. Original post Here
Hundreds of Albanians Still Waiting for Homes, Five Years After Earthquake
The state promised everyone left homeless by a 2019 earthquake a new home in 2020. Some are still living in squalor. Original post Here
BIRN’s monitors registered a series of digital attacks on media content, online harassment of journalists and threats against LGBTQ+ groups across the Balkans and Southeast Europe in September and October. Original post Here
As Albania begins its last cluster of topics in its EU accession talks in Brussels – only one year after starting negotiations – Prime Minister Edi Rama expresses pride in his country’s achievement. Original post Here
Whether it’s political crises, corruption or political monopolies, our Balkan Insight Premium stories this week highlight the stalemates that so often hold the region back. Original post Here
Analysts and opposition MPs say Prime Minister Edi Rama’s public backing for his indicted deputy is a direct challenge to the fight against organised crime and corruption. Original post Here
Mayor Erion Veliaj looks on course to continue governing the city from his jail cell – after the Constitutional Court annulled his dismissal and PM Edi Rama said he will not call early elections in Tirana. Original post Here
In the first of her monthly dispatches from the heartland of the European Union, Gjeraqina Tuhina looks at which Balkan states have been getting gold stars – or black marks – from the enlargement commissioners. Original post Here
1. The Last Cycle of Extremist Ideologies in the Old Continent – Council of Europe In 2011, the Council of Europe adopted the final version of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), which contained many useful provisions. However, Article 3(c), which …
TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) November 11, 2025. The criminal charges filed against Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku over the Llogara Tunnel project have pushed Albania’s flagship justice reform into uncharted territory, bringing prosecutors closer than ever to the core of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government. The Special …
Albania’s smaller parties believe the country’s two main political forces unexpectedly agreed to work together on electoral reform in order to fix the system to maintain their dominance. Original post Here
The Western Balkan countries remain important corridors in Europe for drug and human trafficking and migrant smuggling, says the 2025 Organised Crime Index, produced by an anti-graft NGO. Original post Here