Albania Slips Into Electoral Autocracy
V Dem places Albania in a category dominated by African states, with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina the only Western Balkan countries in the same group. Tirana Times, March 23, 2026 – Albania has been placed in the category of electoral autocracy in the latest Democracy Report 2026 by the …
Middle East Crisis: Balkan Countries Act to Ease Spike in Oil Prices
As oil and gas prices surge amid the Iran war, Balkan countries are pondering ways to reduce the impact on households and businesses. Original post Here
Timeline: Albania’s High-Level Corruption Cases Raise Political Temperature
The controversy over Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku has put the spotlight on prosecution efforts to target high-level corruption – but she is only the latest senior politician to face charges. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 23, 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
Albania Opposition Protest Turns Violent
Democratic Party leader and former President Sali Berisha injured during clashes. Tirana Times, March 22, 2026 — Albania’s latest national opposition protest in Tirana, which ended in violent clashes between protesters and police, exposed not only rising anger against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government but also a broader crisis of …
US Targets Iran Linked Cyber Network as Albania Emerges as Key Victim
Tirana Times, March 17, 2026 – The United States has moved to dismantle a cyber network linked to Iran’s intelligence apparatus, seizing four domains used for hacking operations, disinformation campaigns and threats, in a case that places Albania at the center of a broader geopolitical confrontation. The U.S. Department of …
Albania Draws a Red Line on Iran
Parliament’s decision to label Tehran a state sponsor of terrorism formalizes a break years in the making and reflects a broad Albanian consensus that Iran has become a direct security threat Tirana Times, March 18, 2026 – Albania has taken one of its toughest political steps yet against Iran, with …
Europe’s Next Enlargement: Why Berlin, Paris and The Hague Could Decide the Fate of the Western Balkans
TIRANA TIMES, March 19, 2026 – The European Union’s enlargement debate has entered a new and unusually sensitive phase. What initially appeared to be a Brussels-driven discussion about how to accelerate Ukraine’s accession has quickly evolved into a broader political reckoning inside key member states over the future shape, pace, …
Albanian MPs Adopt Resolution Declaring Iran ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism’
Ruling Socialist Party MPs aiming to support the US on the Iran war push through resolution – but opposition MPs boycott the vote they claim was staged ‘for the personal agenda of the Prime Minister’. Original post Here
Building a Trusted Health Tourism Ecosystem: Albania’s Next Competitive Advantage
by Professor Alaa Garad Tirana Times, March 17, 2026 – There are countries you visit, and there are countries you remember. Albania is rapidly becoming the latter. I began writing this article before travelling to Albania, drawing on the country’s remarkable tourism growth and the strategic opportunities it presents. Yet …
Albanian Radio and Television (RTSH) has presented its new visual identity and the new television season at a ceremony attended by representatives of institutions, ministers, journalists, artists and well-known figures from the world of media and art. Radka Betcheva, EBU Head of Member Relations for Central and Eastern Europe, also …
Albanian Radio Television (RTSH) is starting the new television season with a new visual identity and a series of innovations in its programming. The presentation took place this Wednesday at the RTSH premises, in a ceremony attended by representatives of institutions, journalists, artists and well-known television figures. The Director General …
A new visual identity and a new television season. Albanian Radio Television (RTSH) presented its new projects and vision this Wednesday, September 16, at a ceremony held in the “Gjon Simoni” hall of the institution, marking another step in its journey towards a more modern and dynamic appearance. Members of …
The European Union is supporting Albania in several key sectors. Energy and infrastructure remain among the main priorities. According to the European Commission’s “Energy Factsheet – Albania,” the EU has provided €588 million through the Global Gateway initiative since 2021. Meanwhile, this support could mobilize around €1.5 billion in total …
Albanian Football Federation President Armand Duka attended a gala evening hosted by the Greek Football Federation to mark its 100th anniversary. During the important milestone for Greek football, Duka congratulated Greek Football Federation President Chrysostomos Gkagkatsis and the entire Greek football community. Duka praised the history and contribution of Greek …
Albania will experience mainly stable atmospheric conditions on Thursday, according to the Military Meteorological Service. The weather will bring alternating clear spells and moderate to locally dense cloud cover. Cloudiness will be more pronounced in mountainous areas. Winds will be light, mainly from northwest to southeast, with an average speed …
Former NATO commander in Europe Wesley Clark said today that the world should not forget what happened in Kosova from 1997 to 1999. Clark recalled the repression under Slobodan Milosevic. He said more than 400,000 people were expelled from their villages in the summer of 1998. He also recalled military …
Forty-one works by renowned Albanian painter Ibrahim Kodra will be presented together for the first time in many years at the “The Sea and Music” exhibition. The exhibition will open on September 23 at the Bank of Albania. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja announced the exhibition. He …
US diplomat William Walker has reacted to the verdict by the Kosova Specialist Chambers against four former Kosova Liberation Army leaders. The former ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe described the sentences as a tragic day for Kosova. Walker questioned the European Union’s response before the …
North Macedonia’s Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said that, despite the convictions, the four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders “remain Kosovo’s liberators.” “Today’s verdict is a first-instance decision, while the battle for justice continues,” Gashi wrote on social media. Gashi called for calm. He also said that Thaçi, Krasniqi, Veseli …